CytoData Information

The CytoData society (CytoDS) builds and maintains an active community around image-based profiling of biological phenotypes induced by genetic, chemical or other perturbations of biological systems. Although microscopy imaging is among the oldest techniques in the life sciences, its use as a quantifiable source of information has been limited to measure only certain specific phenotypes based on the biological question at hand. In recent years, several research groups have demonstrated that the data-rich information present in images can be used to create signatures of the state of a cell or other biological systems. Its applications can thus have a transformational impact on drug discovery as well as basic science. This field of image-based profiling is still in its infancy, and its adoption has been slow, primarily due to the data analysis challenges posed, the large imaging experiments required, and the lack of ground-truth data sets where relationships among images are known. Our goal is therefore to bring image-based profiling into the mainstream by organizing the community working on this technology. Keep tuned to hear about events, including an Annual Symposium and hackathons where you will connect with a worldwide vibrant community.