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Using digital pathology to standardize and automate histological evaluations of environmental samples
Summary
Researchers explored how digital pathology tools, widely used in human medicine, could be applied to automate and standardize the examination of environmental tissue samples. They found that digital analysis of whole slide images can reduce subjectivity and variability compared to traditional microscopy methods. The study suggests that adopting digital pathology in environmental monitoring could improve consistency in assessing ecosystem health.
Histological evaluations of tissues are commonly used in environmental monitoring studies to assess the health and fitness status of populations or even whole ecosystems. Although traditional histology can be cost-effective, there is a shortage of proficient histopathologists and results can often be subjective between operators, leading to variance. Digital pathology is a powerful diagnostic tool that has already significantly transformed research in human health but has rarely been applied to environmental studies. Digital analyses of whole slide images introduce possibilities of highly standardized histopathological evaluations, as well as the use of artificial intelligence for novel analyses. Furthermore, incorporation of digital pathology into environmental monitoring studies using standardized bioindicator species or groups such as bivalves and fish can greatly improve the accuracy, reproducibility, and efficiency of the studies. This review aims to introduce readers to digital pathology and how it can be applied to environmental studies. This includes guidelines for sample preparation, potential sources of error, and comparisons to traditional histopathological analyses.
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