1Computational Framework for Controlled F-actin Stained Confocal Microscopy Image Simulation

Abstract — The validation of image analysis methods used in automated image cytometry has become an important topic. Im-age generation from biological experiments could not guarantee us obtain a complete set of test cases for validation purpose while the ground truth obtained from manual inspection for these images is often questioned for human bias. Also, working on hundreds of thousands of images by hand is impractical. In this paper we propose a computational framework for generating synthesized confocal microscopy images with F-actin structures stained and highlighted by Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). The presented simulation software was developed in Matlab. It was built primarily to validate our F-actin quantification software developed in house. With several user controllable parameters it could be used as a versatile tool for validating other F-actin quantification systems. Index Terms — Confocal Microscopy, Simulation, F-actin I