MBF Bioscience Stereo Investigator AI 3D stereology software

Stereo Investigator AI by MBF Bioscience combines unbiased stereology with deep-learning technology to provide automated, reproducible and high-throughput 3D quantification of fluorescently labelled histological specimens.

The software is trained to replicate expert human observer criteria for identifying cells, determining their location and measuring their size. Using researcher-defined counting frames, grid sizes and disector parameters, the system automatically detects objects at each sampling site and applies stereological counting rules to identify the cells that should be included in the analysis. It is understood to be the first and only software to perform design-based stereology in 3D using automated cell detection.

Built around established stereological principles, including systematic random sampling and the optical fractionator, the system maintains the rigor and unbiased nature of manual stereology while reducing analysis time. It can distinguish between different cell types, subcellular structures and non-cellular objects, with classifiers that can be trained for both dense and sparse cell populations.

The software supports single- and multi-channel fluorescence microscopy and can identify co-localised cellular and subcellular markers. Automated results can be reviewed and manually validated using 3D visualisation, while image data and results can be digitally archived for future reference.

The software is designed to help researchers perform rigorous 3D stereological analysis more efficiently, making large-scale quantitative studies faster, more consistent and more practical.