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WG 2 – Detection system performance

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WG 2 – Objectives

WG2 focuses on the detection system, comprising the detection path and its detector(s), and how it measures the signal from the sample.

Members of WG2 aim to standardize the characterization of the detection system performance and create standard procedures for monitoring it over time, thereby revealing performance issues that could affect data reproducibility. Therefore, WG2 will define universal, externally measurable parameters applicable to any type of detector (e.g., photons, linearity, noise), together with measurement tools and protocols for measuring these parameters from common detector types. These universal parameters will be specified according to each distinct type of detector’s internal parameters, which have already been defined by the community. They will enable the evaluation and comparison of different detection systems, thus pinpointing the most suitable technology for given applications.

WG 2 – Co-Chairs

WG 2 - Latest News

Join the QUAREP-LiMi Workshops at ELMI

We are pleased to announce that the QUAREP-LiMi consortium will be presenting five specialized workshops at the upcoming European Light Microscopy Institute (ELMI) meeting. Our sessions are designed to provide researchers with frameworks for improving image quality, ensuring data reproducibility, and implementing rigorous quality control standards in microscopy. The workshops will cover five critical pillars of instrument characterization:

  1. The QUAREP-LiMi Tool Kit (WGs 1 & 2):

    Discover how to streamline periodic quality assessments. We will present the latest developments in the Tool Kit, including user-friendly software tools for illumination power and stability (compatible with Nikon and Zeiss), as well as its data browser for long-term performance monitoring.

  2. Detector Performance & Photon Characterization (WG2):

    Learn how to transition from "arbitrary digital units" (ADU) to actual photon counts using the Photon Transfer Curve (PTC) method. We will demonstrate protocols for characterizing photon conversion factors, read noise, and dynamic range for both point and area detectors.

  3. Assessing the co-registration accuracy of a microscope (WG4):

    Chromatic aberration is a major source of spatial error in multi‑colour fluorescence microscopy. This workshop will show practical hints and tips to perform routine co‑registration measurement and analysis.

  4. Point Spread Function (PSF) Analysis (WG5):

    This workshop provides a practical guide to PSF measurement—from beads slide preparation and image acquisition to analysis using open-source tools and integration with OMERO for longitudinal monitoring.

  5. The Light-Microscopy Metadata Model (LiMi-Model, WG7):

    In collaboration with BioImaging North America, 4D Nucleome, and OME, we will introduce the LiMi-Model. This framework aims to harmonize the description of hardware and acquisition settings to ensure datasets are FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) by design.
We look forward to engaging with you and hearing your feedback during these sessions!

QUAREP-LiMi welcomes our first member from Ukraine

We warmly welcome our first member from Ukraine, Dr. Borys Olifirov, from the Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology of NAS of Ukraine who just joined Working Group 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Characterization of the Photon Conversion Factor, Noise, and Dynamic Range of Light Microscope Detection Systems

The WG 2 released its first protocol “Characterization of the Photon Conversion Factor, Noise, and Dynamic Range of Light Microscope Detection Systems“. In total there are 5 protocols belonging to the protocol:

  1. Introduction – Background and Aims
  2. Sample Preparation – An Easy-to-Prepare Sample Slide
  3. Data Generation – Systems with an Area Detector
  4. Data Generation – Systems with a Point Detector
  5. Analysis – Characterization of the Photon Conversion Factor, Noise, and Dynamic Range

The protocols are featured on

 

Upcoming meeting: 13th July 2026, 5:00 pm
Last meeting: 8th June 2026, 5:00 pm

64th meeting, 13th of July 2026

Meeting date

13/07/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting documentation

63rd meeting, 8th of June 2026

Meeting date

08/06/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organisational matters & News
  2. Finalising WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026
  3. Update on theory paper
  4. Work on comparison protocol / recomendations
  5. Summary and next steps

Summary

The 63rd meeting of Working Group 2 focused on preparations for ELMI 2026, where both workshops presented by the group have already sold out. The team reviewed presentation materials for two workshops: one on photoconversion factor measurement led by Kees and Britta, and another on automation protocols presented by Kees. They discussed QR code implementation in presentations and agreed to include both direct protocol links and references to the QUAREP-LiMi website for better accessibility. The group also addressed plans for poster presentations and the status of a theory paper, noting no updates were available from the authors. Additionally, they debated the development of comparison protocols and guidelines, with participants suggesting a survey might help determine community needs before creating formal recommendations.

Meeting documentation

62nd meeting, 11th of May 2026

Meeting date

11/05/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organisational matters & News
  2. Updates on camera model and glossary project
  3. WG2 elections
  4. Updates on: WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026, theory paper
  5. Work on comparison protocol
  6. Summary and next steps

Summary

The Working Group 2 meeting focused on election results, project updates, and ELMI preparation. Catalin reported the election results for the new WG2 co-chairs (Valeria Berno, Gert-Jan Bakker, Andre Zeug, Britta Schroth-Diez) and WG2 representatives (SC: Britta Schroth-Diez, ERB: David Grunwald, OB: Andre Zeug). The group discussed the final phase of the camera model and glossary project, which is nearly complete after five years of work. They reviewed plans for ELMI workshops, including two accepted workshop applications, and discussed potential poster abstract submissions for the conference. The meeting also addressed the comparison protocol development, with discussions about light source stability and its impact on measurement results, though the group concluded that light source variation likely wouldn’t affect the current protocol’s results.

Meeting documentation

61st meeting, 13th of April 2026

Meeting date

13/04/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organisational matters & News
  2. Preparation for WG2 elections
  3. Reports from FOM and GerBI-GMB meeting
  4. Updates on: WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026, theory paper
  5. Work on comparison protocol
  6. Summary and next steps

Summary:

After agreeing on the next meeting dates and reporting from the last SC meeting, we discussed the upcoming elections for our WG2 co-chairs and representatives.
This was followed by reports from our very successful WG2 contributions at FOM 2026 and the GerBI-GMB meeting. Next, we talked about our planned contributions for ELMI2026.
The two workshop abstracts were sent in, abstracts for posters still need to be worked on. The theory paper preparation group met at FOM. The next steps planned are to provide a first draft sketch for the paper and a letter to the editor. Both drafts will be presented in the May meeting.
The reminder of the meeting of worked on our comparison protocol. We discussed how to define acceptable variations of the light source used for determining detector parameters. We further discussed how to measure these parameters and how they would link to light source intensity variation. We will continue this discussion in our next meeting.

Meeting documentation

60th meeting, 9th of March 2026

Meeting date

09/03/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organizational matters and News
  2. Preparation for WG2 elections
  3. WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026
  4. Updates on: theory paper, FOM 2026 poster
  5. Work on comparison protocol
  6. Summary and next steps

Summary

After agreeing on the next meeting dates and reporting from the last SC meeting, we discussed the upcoming elections for our WG2 co-chairs and representatives. This was followed by a finishing the abstracts for our planned two workshop contributions for ELMI2026. The theory paper preparation group planned to meet at FOM, where some WG2 members will present our work on a poster.
The reminder of the meeting of worked on our comparison protocol. We discussed several aspects and came to the conclusion that we need to start by defining the acceptable variations of the light source used for determining detector parameters. This we will discuss in the next meeting. In addition, we need to measure several detectors to get an overview of performance variability. We will discuss a workflow and timeline in the upcoming meeting.

Meeting documentation

59th meeting, 9th of February 2026

Meeting date

09/02/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organizational matters and News
  2. WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026
  3. Updates on: theory paper, FOM 2026 poster abstract, LiMi-model – camera model & glossary, dexel – pixel project
  4. Work on comparison protocol
  5. Summary and next steps

Summary

The meeting began with discussions about poster presentations, workshops, co-chairs, and meeting attendance statistics, followed by confirmation of upcoming meeting dates and agenda items. The team reviewed updates on various initiatives including ELMI 2026, Working Group 11’s publication, and the LiMi-model webpage, while also discussing workshop proposals and potential contributions to the ELMI 2026 conference. The group focused on developing comparison protocols for microscope and detection systems, deciding to prioritize consistent measurement protocols over complex system comparisons, with plans to invite Working Group 1 members for further discussion.

Meeting documentation

58th meeting, 12th of January 2026

Meeting date

12/01/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organizational matters and News
  2. Update on theory paper
  3. Poster abstract for FOM 2026
  4. Update on LiMi-model – camera model & glossary
  5. Update on dexel – pixel approval process
  6. Topics for 2026 – priorities and timelines

Summary

We started the meeting with agreeing on our next meeting dates and what to report to the SC meeting the next day. This was followed by an update on the theory paper project and endorsement for a poster abstract for FOM 2026. Next we shared the great news that the 5-year-long camera model and glossary project finished the revision by the stakeholder group. The next step is to go to the SC with a proposal for change (PFC) for approval to go to phase 4 (community approval). The dexel-pixel project interest group consisting of members of WGs 2, 7, and 10, finished the approval rounds through the respective working groups. Next, the texts will be presented to the SC for approval and subsequent dissemination. We finished the meeting with discussing the various topics we as WG2 want to work on in 2026. The order of the topics was also discussed and agreed. We will start in our February meeting with working on a protocol to compare measurements between two detection and / or microscope systems.

Meeting documentation

57th meeting, 08th of December 2025

Meeting date

08/12/2025 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organizational matters and News
  2. Update on theory paper
  3. Update on LiMi-model – / NBO-Q camera model & glossary
  4. Report from dexel – pixel stakeholder group meetings
  5. Recap of 2025 and outlook to 2026

Summary

The meeting started with a brief summary of the last Steering Committee meeting, which included decision on the name “LiMi-model” to replace “NBO-Q”, planning for the annual meeting, announcement of three open positions for QUAREP-LiMi funded through a DFG grant, and report from work by WG11 which will be published soon. We continued the meeting with discussing the next steps for our theory paper and the possibility to represent our work with a poster during FOM 2026. After a short about the current status of our camera model and glossary work, we went through the documents prepared by the dexel-pixel stakeholder group. WG2 approved the definitions with potential change to  the pixel definition by WG10. In addition, the social media text and long texts were approved too and sent to WG10 for their approval. We will review the result in our January meeting, before the whole document is sent to the SC for approval. Since this was the last meeting in 2025, we finished with a short recap of our achievements in 2025 and outlook to our plans for 2026.

Meeting documentation

56th meeting, 10th of November 2025

Meeting date

10/11/2025 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organizational matters and News
  2. Update on theory paper
  3. Short update on NBO-Q camera model & glossary
  4. Discussion about dexel vs pixel text

Summary

After an initial discussion and open question about the correct procedure for writing the paper—particularly regarding contributions and data sharing—the conversation moved to the paper draft. The subgroup presented the main document they are working on and addressed key points such as the choice of journal and the paper format, which will likely be a scientific report or review. It was agreed that formal guidelines and a brainstorming session will be needed to define protocol updates and determine how much new data can be included. At the beginning of next year, a smaller subgroup should be formed with clearer ideas on these issues, and efforts should be made to invite additional contributors, especially from company representatives.
A brief summary of the last Steering Committee meeting followed: new funding opportunities were confirmed, and the success of the DFG application was noted. The need to create an OMERO subgroup was highlighted, and Britta reported on her presentation during a Springer/Nature webinar on WG2 protocols. The group also discussed concerns about FAIR data sharing costs but concluded that the topic extends beyond WG2; the Steering Committee will be informed. Additional updates were provided on the NBO-Q camera model and glossary, as well as on the ongoing discussion regarding dexel versus pixel terminology together with WG10.

Meeting documentation

55th meeting, 13th of October 2025

Meeting date

13/10/2025 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)

Meeting summary

Agenda

  1. Organizational matters and News
  2. New name for NBO-Q model
  3. Update on NBO-Q camera model & glossary
  4. Discussion about dexel vs pixel text
  5. Update on theory paper
Summary
At the beginning of our meeting, we shared information from the SC meeting: a big NSF grant was approved and process for finding a better suited name for our model was agreed.
Next, we discussed the proposed names for the model to replace NBO-Q and agreed that WG2 endorses the suggestions by WG7: LiMi Model. Our camera part of the model is still in the process of being finished, one more meeting round needs to be organised. Specifically, the definitions and describing texts for pixels (as picture elements) and dexels (as detector elements) need to be finalised. We discussed the suggested definitions and text drafts. In the last part of the meeting, the paper subgroup reported about their progress. The content of the work in progress will be shared on the QUAREP-LiMi cloud, in a folder privat to the paper subgroup.
 

Meeting documentation

Release of protocols collection:

 
 
  1. Subgroup: Area detector
    • Aims: Establish protocols for characterization of detection systems with an area detector.
    • Co-leads: Britta Schroth, David McFadden
    • Contact information: schroth@mpi-cbg.de
    • On-going tasks: 
      • Move measurement protocol to protocols.io
      • Test measurement protocol with marker pen as sample
      • Evaluate measurement and analysis parameters written down in Airtable
    • Cloud storage location (can be accessed as a member) → here
  2. Subgroup: Point detector
    • Aims: Establish protocols for characterization of detection systems with a point detector.
    • Co-leads: Gert-Jan Bakker, Andre Zeug
    • Contact information: gert-jan.bakker@radboudumc.nl
    • On-going tasks: 
      • Insert measurement protocol to protocols.io
      • Generate comments and hints for protocol
      • Evaluate measurement and analysis parameters written down in Airtable
    • Cloud storage location (can be accessed as a member) → here
  3. Subgroup: Test sample
    • Aims: investigate and define standardized samples for characterization of detection systems.
    • Co-leads: Valeria Berno, David McFadden
    • Contact information: berno.valeria@hsr.it
    • On-going tasks: 
      • Test and characterize standardized light sources for characterization of microscope’s detection systems.
    • Cloud storage location (can be accessed as a member) → here
  4.  

Memberlist WG 2