Working Group 1
Quality Assessment and Reproducibility for Instruments & Images in Light Microscopy
The Consortium for Quality Assessment and Reproducibility for Instruments and Images in Light Microscopy (QUAREP-LiMi), formed by the global community of practitioners, researchers, developers, service providers, funders, publishers, policy makers and industry related to the use of light microscopy, is committed to democratizing access to quantitative and reproducible light microscopy and the data generated by it.
Our mission is to provide a comprehensive set of community-agreed guidelines, protocols, automation procedures and other resources aimed at improving quality control, quality assurance, and instrument/method calibration. The stakeholders advocate for the use of the highest level of reproducibility for data generated by light microscopy methods in scientific research and biotechnology applications. In support of achieving its mission, QUAREP-LiMi:
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sanctions Working Groups to form teams that focus on specific technical or outreach topics;
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maintains, disseminates, and teaches best practices, protocols, and software tools; and
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collaborates with providers of reference materials or instrumentation or other tools that enable the easy implementation of best practices at the community level.
We came together in our first online Web meeting on the 28th of April, 2020, with about 50 attendees. By now (24st of April 2024), the network has grown to 620 people from 41 countries worldwide. We have members from academia (research labs, core facilities), national microscopy communities, companies involved in the microscopy business, organizations or institutions related to standardization on a national or international level, and scientific publishers and observers from funding agencies (see the graph below and on the member page for an overview).
Ten working groups (WGs) were established in the 2nd General Meeting on the 9th of July 2020 to bring our common aims quickly forward. Our web page gives an overview of QUAREP-LiMi’s work. In the 3rd General Meeting, WG 11 “Microscopy Publication Standards” and later WGs 12 “Image Visualization and Analysis” and 13 “Phototoxicity” were established. WG 14 “Environment” and 15 “FLIM” are in the process of being established, and WG 8 is restructured to work on “Education, Training and Outreach”.
QUAREP-LiMi operates a NextCloud and an OMERO server, serving as a centralized repository and exchange point for our collective work. These platforms facilitate collaboration and data sharing among our members.
QUAREP-LiMi is absolutely open to new members, and we are looking forward to your contribution. If you are interested in joining our initiative, please fill out our membership form. Use our form for changing your working group (WG) or joining a new WG. For any further questions, please contact us.
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Working Group 2
60th meeting, 9th of March 2026
Meeting date
09/03/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Agenda
- Organizational matters and News
- Preparation for WG2 elections
- WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026
- Updates on: theory paper, FOM 2026 poster
- Work on comparison protocol
- 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.
59th meeting, 9th of February 2026
Meeting date
09/02/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Agenda
- Organizational matters and News
- WG2 contribution to ELMI 2026
- Updates on: theory paper, FOM 2026 poster abstract, LiMi-model – camera model & glossary, dexel – pixel project
- Work on comparison protocol
- 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.58th meeting, 12th of January 2026
Meeting date
12/01/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Agenda
- Organizational matters and News
- Update on theory paper
- Poster abstract for FOM 2026
- Update on LiMi-model – camera model & glossary
- Update on dexel – pixel approval process
- 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.57th meeting, 08th of December 2025
Meeting date
08/12/2025 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Agenda
- Organizational matters and News
- Update on theory paper
- Update on LiMi-model – / NBO-Q camera model & glossary
- Report from dexel – pixel stakeholder group meetings
- 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 2026.56th meeting, 10th of November 2025
Meeting date
10/11/2025 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Agenda
- Organizational matters and News
- Update on theory paper
- Short update on NBO-Q camera model & glossary
- 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.
55th meeting, 13th of October 2025
Meeting date
13/10/2025 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Agenda
- Organizational matters and News
- New name for NBO-Q model
- Update on NBO-Q camera model & glossary
- Discussion about dexel vs pixel text
- Update on theory paper
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.
Working Group 3
Working Group 4
56th meeting, 21st of July 2026
Meeting summary
WG04 had a presentation from one of its members, Junqing, from the National Physical Laboratory, UK, on “Dimensionally Traceable 3D Microstructures for Multimodal Microscope Calibration,” followed by a group discussion. The group then discussed the upcoming group elections (for SC, ERB, and OBs); the current co-chairs stated they are willing to remain in their positions, though new nominations are welcome. The group will set up a nomination/election poll.
54th meeting, 21st of April 2026
Meeting date
21/04/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
The working group discussed the issue of low attendance at meetings and considered the possibility of increasing visibility through social media channels. This matter will be raised with the Steering Committee (SC) for further guidance.
The group also addressed the development of a new protocol for widefield (WF) and spinning disk (SD) microscopy systems. Attending members agreed to prepare an initial draft covering both modalities. MA will share a link to the first version of the protocol ahead of the next meeting to enable further discussion.
Finally, it was noted that the WG04 abstract submitted for a workshop at ELMI 2026 has been accepted.
53rd meeting, 17th of March 2026
Meeting date
17/03/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
The WG was updated by LacJ about the feedback requests from the other WGs and the general news from Quarep‑LiMi. The WG then discussed the abstract outline to be submitted for a workshop at ELMI 2026.
52nd meeting, 17th of February 2026
Meeting date
17/02/2026 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
PS updated the group on the latest news from QUAREP‑LiMi. The group discussed the protocol changes to be implemented. AB presented results obtained on different systems from his facility. Based on these findings, new action items were defined. The next meeting is scheduled for March 23.
Working Group 5
Working Group 6
Working Group 7
17th meeting, 19th of September 2022
Meeting date
19/09/2022 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
The work of QUAREP-WG7 is done within WG7-Subgroups that have clear goals listed on the WG7 homepage (https://quarep.org/working-groups/wg-7-metadata/).
The general meeting serves as a space for reporting back on the progress that has been achieved within the Subgroups, connecting the dots, strategic planning, and general discussions.
This organization allows WG7 to carry out several parallel tasks that span from image metadata model specifications, the development of metadata collection tools, the improvement of the metadata storage formats, and the development of educational and training material to onboard biomedical researchers.
DECISIONS:
- The general organization of WG7 is sound, and it will be maintained.
- To leave more time for Subgroup work and reduce time waste, it was decided that we will reduce the frequency of WG7 general meeting while making Subgroup meetings regular and consistent.
- Specifically, the general meeting will be held on the third Monday once every 2 months —> NEXT GENERAL MEETING will be on 11/21/2022 (17:00 CEST / 11:00 EST)
- The same slot will be utilized as needed by the subgroups. For example, the next WG7-Subgroup 2 meeting will take place on the 17th of October (17:00 CEST / 11:00 EST).
- At the same time, it is essential to improve communication and progress management to make sure people have a clear idea of what is happening, and how they can contribute.
- To facilitate the division of labor and communication, we will create granular task lists in Excel and link the list from the WG7 homepage (https://nextcloud.quarep.org/index.php/s/DgJBQnjg3jSMgx8). The list will be bae on the tasks emerging from Sub-Group meetings, will provide precise instructions, and include clear due dates (e.g. Subgroup 1: TASK = provide feedback on Micro-Meta App Confocal canvases; DUE=10/17/2022)
16th meeting, 18th of July 2022
Meeting date
18/07/2022 @ 5:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Despite considerable progress (publications, collaborations with other working groups, feedback from manufacturers, further development of metadata collection tools, educational material, outreach, etc.), participation has been waning.
To address this issue, we discussed the following topics:
1) What can we do to improve motivation and participation?
2) What should be our goals for the upcoming year?
The discussion was very animated and participated. Several constructive suggestions were made. In summary:
1) Having subgroups allows to achieve tasks, but it can be very confusing. It is important to improve the organization of the work and communication to members on what needs to be done and what is done:
– agreed upon, small, and achievable tasks
– clear schedule (always advertised on the QUAREP calendar)
– report back consistency on goals and progress
2) It is important to shift focus from Microscopy Metadata to Experimental/Sample Metadata capture. Would it make sense for WG7 to be involved in developing standards around these topics?
3) It is important to develop guidelines but for work to be successful and productive, WG7 has to be involved with developers to produce tools that implement the guidelines and bring them to life for imaging scientists.
Next steps:
– The August meeting is canceled. See you back in September
– In September, all Subgroups will have a meeting to organize next year’s schedule (regular or not?) goals and activities.
– Co-Chairs will meet to decide whether a survey to collect feedback on future goals is needed for all WG7 members (even those that do not participate in sub-groups).
Working Group 8
14th meeting, 23rd of April 2025
Meeting date
23/04/2025 @ 4:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Summary (topics discussed): Presented and discussed objectives and survey, provided feedback from GerBI, who saw the survey. Sylvia and Gaby showed the latest changes made to the survey. Asked for more contributions (links were shared again). Angela suggested also we have someone more expert on surveys go through the questions (especially making it quantifiable through better structured Likert scales?).
Once this is sorted the Gaby sends a preview of the survey to all QUAREP for final feedback, on the spirit of opening to all community before going public with results.
We ten plan for a date for releasing if and when there is consensus.
Ask also to vote on whether we can/should ask for email (as optional, never mandatory!).
Working Group 9
Working Group 10
41st meeting, 09th of December 2025
Meeting date
09/12/2025 @ 4:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Discussion about dexel definition work between WG2, WG7 and WG10;
Raw image definition paper V0.8: What‘s new? What remins to be done? Proofreading and assignment of tasks. Target publication date, timeline and help (all)
40th meeting, 14th of October 2025
Meeting date
14/10/2025 @ 4:00 PM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Discussion about Pixel vs Dexel definitions. Validation of the document.
Presentation by John Oreopoulos (Andor) about methods to measure internal scan head background levels, discussions.
Working Group 11
46th meeting, 03rd March 2026
Meeting date
05/03/2026 @ 11:03 AM (CET/CEST)
Meeting summary
Decide on next chair (Chloe’s torch bearer)
Ayse: Discuss her idea of IA she is working on
Define what depends on application means.
QUAREP-endorsed MicCheck?
Review the modalities we already discussed to ensure we are still ok with them.