FLIM Playground: An interactive, end-to-end graphical user interface for analyzing single cells with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is sensitive to molecular environments and enables high-resolution mapping of cellular heterogeneity. Yet, the journey from raw photon decays to biological insight remains fragmented by multi-step data extraction and siloed analyses, creating burdens for experts and non-experts alike. This work presents FLIM Playground, the first interactive graphical platform that unifies single-cell FLIM workflows. Modularly designed to encompass data extraction (if desired) and data analysis, FLIM Playground can check field-of-view metadata, calibrate and extract fluorescence lifetime features per region of interest along with morphology and texture features across channels, merge multiple datasets, and provide real-time visual analytic modules. Lifetime extraction was validated against commercial software and published results, and both data extraction and analysis were demonstrated on a FLIM dataset of cancer cell lines. By adopting best practices and offering interactivity, FLIM Playground promotes reproducibility, allows for expansion to new imaging modalities, and accelerates hypothesis-driven discovery.
Source: Cell Reports Methods
Language: English
Subfield: Biophysics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,824
Awards: Collaborative Research: EAGER: Autofluorescence lifetime flow sorting with time-correlated single photon counting, Optical imaging to predict cell-level genetic heterogeneity and treatment sensitivity in colorectal cancer, Label-free imaging of CAR T cell metabolism, Functional optical imaging for rapid, label-free predictions of treatment response and clonal evolution in patient-derived cancer organoids, Label-free single-cell imaging for quality control of cardiomyocyte biomanufacturing
OpenAlex ID: W7164170122