OME-Zarr is succeeding in becoming the standard cloud-compatible file format for big bioimaging (and other domain) data. To further foster this success, implementations that support all features of OME-Zarr must be developed and maintained in all relevant platforms. Here we propose to consolidate and further develop feature-rich and performant OME-Zarr implementations in the popular Fiji platform. OME-Zarr is partially supported in Fiji by a few dedicated plugins, namely MoBIE, N5 viewer, and Mastodon. We propose to unify these efforts into comprehensive core and OME-Zarr viewer component Java libraries that can be re-used within Fiji and in other Java based applications. In particular, using these libraries, we will implement a default viewer that will be launched when users open OME-Zarr files in their default Fiji installation, a crucial feature that is currently missing.

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.