IMODs

IMODs refers to the IMOD software package used for processing and analyzing tomographic data, with a focus on electron tomography and cryo-electron tomography. The suite provides a cohesive set of tools that support the end-to-end workflow of reconstructing three-dimensional volumes from tilt-series images and annotating or modeling the resulting structures.

Key components and capabilities include Etomo, a graphical user interface that guides data management, tilt-series alignment, and tomographic reconstruction; and 3dmod, a versatile viewer and editor for visualization, segmentation, and model building. IMOD also includes a collection of command-line utilities for various processing steps, enabling automation and batch workflows. The software supports alignment using fiducial markers as well as patch-tracking methods, and offers multiple reconstruction algorithms such as weighted back projection and iterative techniques like SIRT.

IMOD works with common electron microscopy data formats, notably MRC/CCP-EM stacks, and can manage associated metadata. It produces volumetric reconstructions and editable surface models that facilitate the analysis of membranes, organelles, and macromolecular complexes within tomograms. The package emphasizes an integrated workflow from data import and alignment to reconstruction, modeling, and visualization, with scripting support to automate repetitive tasks.

The project is open-source and widely used in structural biology and materials science. It runs on major operating systems, including Linux and macOS, and is supported by a community of developers and researchers who contribute documentation, tutorials, and updates. IMODs is regarded as a standard toolset for electron tomography data processing and 3D reconstruction.