ePoster

ClearFinder: A Python GUI for annotating cells in cleared mouse brain

Margarita Tevosian, Stefan Pastore, Philipp Hillenbrand, Nils Molnar, Irina Kovlyagina, Monika Chanu Chongtham, Stanislav Sys, Beat Lutz, Susanne Gerber
FENS Forum 2024(2024)
Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Conference

FENS Forum 2024

Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Resources

Authors & Affiliations

Margarita Tevosian, Stefan Pastore, Philipp Hillenbrand, Nils Molnar, Irina Kovlyagina, Monika Chanu Chongtham, Stanislav Sys, Beat Lutz, Susanne Gerber

Abstract

Tissue clearing combined with light-sheet microscopy is gaining popularity among neuroscientists interested in unbiased assessment of their samples in 3D volume, while the analysis of such data remains a challenge. ClearMap and CellFinder are tools for analysing neuronal activity maps in an intact volume of cleared mouse brains. However, these tools lack a user interface, restricting accessibility primarily to scientists proficient in advanced Python programming. The present application aims to bridge this gap and make the data analysis accessible for a wider scientific community. We developed ClearFinder: an easy-to-adopt graphical user interface (GUI) for cell quantification and group analysis of whole cleared mouse brains. Basic statistical analysis and additional visualization features allow a quick evaluation of the data and establishment of quality checks. Furthermore, we report major differences in total cell counts between CellFinder and ClearMap, when cross-analysing the same samples, underscoring the need for optimizing reproducibility within the field. ClearFinder offers a comprehensive solution tailored for scientists from various disciplines to process whole-brain light-sheet microscopy imaging data efficiently. Key features include: User-friendly interface: ClearFinder provides an intuitive platform for detecting and assigning cells throughout the entire mouse brain volume using the capabilities of the ClearMap and CellFinder toolsRobust installation process: by maintaining independent virtual environments, ClearFinder ensures a robust and standardized installation process, simplifying the setup for usersEnhanced functionality: ClearFinder extends basic processing capabilities by incorporating additional features such as result visualization through heatmap plotting and basic statistical analysis including PCA and box plots.

Unique ID: fens-24/clearfinder-python-annotating-cells-f8cfc2b7