# F-BIAS: Towards a distributed national core facility for bioimage analysis

## TL;DR

F-BIAS is a national, distributed core facility for bioimage analysis in France that connects analysts and supports researchers by reducing isolation and improving expertise.

## Contribution

A novel distributed model for a national bioimage analysis core facility that enhances collaboration and technical development.

## Key findings

- F-BIAS successfully federates bioimage analysts across France, improving their professional engagement and reducing isolation.
- The virtual core facility provides valuable services to researchers lacking image analysis expertise.
- The model includes critical components for reproducibility and can inspire similar initiatives.

## Abstract

We discuss in this article the creation and organization of a national core facility for bioimage analysis, based on a distributed team. F-BIAS federates bioimage analysts across France and relies on them to deliver services to the researchers of this territory. The main challenge in implementing this structure is to ensure significant scientific value to the analysts, thereby encouraging their active participation and persuading their respective host teams to support their involvement. F-BIAS accomplished this by creating a professional network that mitigates the negative effects of isolation experienced by its members, who are often the sole bioimage analyst within their local teams, and fosters the development of their technical skills. In a second phase we capitalized on F-BIAS to create a virtual, remotely-operating core facility for bioimage analysis, offering consultations and collaborative project services to the scientific community of France. The services are organized so that they also contribute to the technical proficiency of the analysts. To promote the creation of similar structures, we present and discuss here the organization of this nationally distributed bioimage analysis service core, highlighting successes and challenges.

We describe our experience in creating a nationwide core facility offering services in bioimage analysis. This virtual facility federates existing resources scattered across the territory and within different research institutions. It attracted and retained analysts thanks to the scientific added value it brought to them. The distributed core facility efficiently addresses the needs of imaging-based research projects, in particular for researchers previously without access to image analysis expertise. It also mitigates the risk of isolation for analyst members that are often the sole expert in image analysis in their local teams. We identify and share the critical components necessary for the success of similar endeavors, to facilitate reproducibility.