CellMap started as a project called COSEM to annotate the rich details of the FIB-SEM data and later to develop a machine learning pipeline for automating the segmentation of organelles and other cellular structures. This work holds immense potential, especially as showcasing vEM (volume electron microscopy) in mapping the cellular interior is named one of the technologies to watch in 2023. The project began with single cells and leveraged existing datasets, expanding toward analyzing cells in their native tissue environments. Under the CellMap Project Team, Janelia's expertise in imaging, computation, and technology is harnessed to advance research in high-resolution volume microscopy data analysis. Importantly, the team makes these tools, techniques, and data openly available through OpenOrganelle, enabling global access and collaboration.
CellMap's multidisciplinary approach fosters innovation and collaboration across Janelia’s, HHMI’s and outside scientific groups, building upon the achievements of COSEM, and the Enhanced FIB-SEM Shared Resource to create canonical datasets that drive progress in cell biology. This pioneering effort is foundational for 4DCP, Janelia’s research area focused on deciphering how cells function and interact across scales to construct and sustain organs and organisms, furthering our understanding of the biological world.