ZFIQ: Zebrafish image quantitator

A free software platform (ZFIQ: zebrafish image quantitator) is being developed for automatic analysis and quantification of image-based phenotypes in zebrafish biology. This platform allows end users to dynamically construct image quantification pipelines in an interactive graphical environment, in which hundreds of basic and advanced image analysis functionalities have already been integrated. The constructed pipeline can be saved as a protocol for later use or be distributed to other users. The protocol can run in a batch mode so that large amount of image datasets can be analyzed automatically. The open architecture of ZFIQ allows developers to plug-in their own specific image analysis functionalities into the platform seamlessly. We will exemplify the ZFIQ by pipelines of automatic analysis and quantitation of phenotypes in zebrafish with altered expression of Alzheimer disease (AD)-linked genes and in study of retina development and somitogenesis. This ZFIQ software package is available for free download at: http://www.cbi-platform.net.