Description
The Young Microscopists and Image Analysts (YMIA) network is a growing community that aims to support young scientists in navigating the intertwined fields of microscopy and image analysis. The network is formed under the German Bioimaging (GerBi), but does not require membership. We offer a platform for discussing specific imaging and analysis challenges in a relaxed, peer-based setting. In addition to general meetings and communication channels, the YMIA offer events such as watchparties, software playgrounds, and expert sessions. To better understand the interest and knowledge gaps of our members, the YMIA use the communication channels and general meetings to tailor the event schedule to the needs of our members. This ensures that young scientists interested in microscopy and image analysis have a meaningful experience when participating in the network. Last year, the YMIA organized a series of events, including watchparties to explore basic and advanced image analysis workflows. We also attended the Imabio Young Scientist Network (YSN) conference in Lille, France, and hosted a social gathering for curious minds in Dresden. Furthermore, the YMIA organized a Python-Based Event Series that covered essential skills, including setting up a Conda environment, large language models, prompt engineering, and CellPose. Session materials are available on Zenodo and recordings on the YMIA YouTube channel. The closing event was a research data management session that demonstrated how to integrate OMERO with Python, and session materials are available on GitHub. Currently we are hosting a watchparty on basic and advanced principles of light microscopy. This year we plan to host a panel discussion on data sharing in bioimaging and various expert sessions. We are committed to expanding our network with new members and experts to support the growing community of bioimage analysts.
