In the absence of community Microscopy Metadata guidelines and tools, it is inherently difficult for manufacturers to incorporate standardized configuration information and performance metrics into image data and for scientists to produce comprehensive and harmonized records of imaging experiments.
To address this challenge, in 2021, the NIH-funded 4D Nucleome (4DN) initiative Imaging Standards Working Group (IWG), working in conjunction with the BioImaging North America (BINA) Quality Control and Data Management Working Group (QC-DM-WG), proposed flexible microscopy metadata specifications for light microscopy that cover a spectrum of imaging modalities and scale with the complexity of the experimental design, instrumentation and analytical requirements.
This 4DN-BINA-OME (NBO) Microscopy Metadata Model consists of a set of three extensions of the Open Microscopy Environment (OME) Data Model, which forms the basis for the ubiquitous Bio-Formats library.
In 2024, NBO was adopted by QUAREP-LiMi, and the model was renamed NBO-QUAREP (NBO-Q) to reflect its increasing community support.
By embracing NBO-Q QUAREP-LiMi encourages participation, constructive feedback and contributions from the entire imaging community and all stakeholders, including research and imaging scientists, facility personnel, instrument manufacturers, software developers, standards organizations, scientific publishers and founders.