Download and install VLab4Mic on your computer. A friendly toolkit to simulate fluorescence microscopy images, no coding required.
VLab4Mic is a virtual laboratory that lets you explore, test, and design imaging experiments before stepping into the microscope room. You build virtual samples from molecular structures, apply fluorescent labelling, and simulate image acquisition across microscopy modalities, all without writing code. It works equally well for newcomers learning the basics and for experienced researchers benchmarking probes, PSFs, or reconstruction methods.
With VLab4Mic you can:
- Build virtual samples from PDB/CIF structures
- Apply direct or indirect fluorescent labelling
- Add structural variation and molecular crowding
- Simulate image acquisition across multiple modalities
- Run parameter sweeps to explore experimental conditions
- Compare noiseless versus realistic acquisitions
This repository is the desktop-app distribution of VLab4Mic, built with LabConstrictor. It provides one-click installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux, so you can run VLab4Mic locally with no Python setup. The installers are published on the Releases page.
Full step-by-step instructions for each operating system are in the installation guide.
| Platform | Installer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | .exe |
Double-click to install. Approve via More info then Run anyway if Windows warns. |
| macOS | .pkg (ARM64 or Intel) or .sh |
Pick ARM64 for Apple silicon, Intel otherwise. |
| Linux | .sh |
Run bash VLab4Mic-<version>-Linux-x86_64.sh, or mark executable and run. |
Installation takes around 6 to 8 minutes and is only needed once. After installing, launch VLab4Mic from your desktop, Start Menu, or Applications folder.
Prefer not to install anything, or want full scripting control? The main VLab4Mic repository covers the alternatives:
- Google Colab notebooks, no installation needed
- Local Jupyter notebooks with the same widget interface
- Python library for scripting and automation
- Website and tutorials: https://vlab4mic.henriqueslab.org/
- Main project repository: https://github.com/HenriquesLab/VLab4Mic
- Questions and bug reports: open an issue
If you use VLab4Mic in your research, please cite:
@article{martinez_2026_vlab4mic,
title={VLab4Mic: prediction of structural resolvability in super-resolution microscopy},
author={Mart{\'i}nez, Dami{\'a}n and Saraiva, Bruno M. and Shakespeare, Tayla and
Bates, Mark and Owen, Dylan M. and Leterrier, Christophe and
Del Rosario, Mario and Henriques, Ricardo},
year={2026},
journal={bioRxiv},
doi={10.64898/2026.06.02.729521},
url={https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.06.02.729521v1}
}Released under the MIT License.