[BINA] Understanding the Standardization Runway of OME-Zarr

Description

Abstract

Over the past two decades, shared formats and tools have steadily improved interoperability in bioimaging. OME-TIFF and Bio-Formats have reduced reliance on proprietary systems and enabled data to move more freely across software and institutions. Yet as datasets grow to terabyte scale and analysis workflows become more complex, the limits of current approaches are increasingly clear.

This talk starts at the destination—OME-Zarr—and works backwards. What is OME-Zarr, what problems does it address, and what remains unresolved? The transition is less a roadmap than a runway: a phase of preparation requiring alignment across formats, tools, and expectations before widespread adoption can takeoff.

Looking back to the origins of the Open Microscopy Environment (OME) highlights enduring challenges around data access, metadata, and reproducibility. Community efforts such as REMBI and QUAREP-LiMi are helping to define clearer expectations, but adoption remains uneven.

The next phase depends on coordinated action. Greater transparency in data and processing, consistent metadata practices, and alignment with emerging standards will be essential to ensure that future formats deliver on their promise—across both research and commercial ecosystems.

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