OpenHCS MCP server

<!-- mcp-name: io.github.OpenHCSDev/openhcs -->

OpenHCS

Turn high-content microscopy images into reproducible measurements\ One reviewable workflow across the GUI, Python, CellProfiler, and local agents

OpenHCS is designed for imaging scientists and research software teams running high-content studies where many wells, sites, channels, Z planes, or time points must be analysed consistently. Source selection, processing steps, and result definitions stay together in one validated pipeline instead of being split across interface-only state, scripts, and automation.

It is a good fit when a workflow must remain reviewable across visual editing, code, and automation. The same pipeline can be edited in the desktop GUI or as Python, imported from supported CellProfiler .cppipe files, and built or reviewed through the local MCP surface.

Install

Windows installer · macOS installer · Installation options

The graphical installers set up an isolated CPU-safe desktop environment with the OpenHCS GUI, CellProfiler compatibility, local MCP server, Napari, Fiji/ImageJ, and Bio-Formats. GPU libraries remain optional.

See OpenHCS in use

Browse the UI and viewer gallery · Watch an agent build, debug, run, and inspect a workflow

OpenHCS processes large microscopy datasets with a compile-then-execute architecture. Pipelines are validated across the selected execution axes before processing starts, preventing late failures after expensive work. Design pipelines in the GUI, export to Python, edit as code, and re-import — switching between visual and programmatic workflows. The local MCP exposes that same workflow model to supported agents, so agent-authored pipelines remain visible, editable, and reviewable in the GUI and generated Python.

graph LR
    subgraph Sources
        IX[ImageXpress]
        OP[Opera Phenix]
        BF[Bio-Formats]
        OM[OMERO]
    end

    subgraph OpenHCS Platform
        PD["Pipeline Designer<br/>(GUI ⇄ Code ⇄ Agent)"]
        CO["Typed Compiler<br/>(resolve + validate)"]
        EX["Bounded Worker Executor<br/>(well scheduling · multi-GPU)"]
        FN["Registry-Discovered Functions<br/>scikit-image · CuPy · pyclesperanto<br/>PyTorch · JAX · TF · CuCIM · custom"]
        PS["PolyStore<br/>(Memory ↔ Disk ↔ Zarr ↔ Stream)"]
    end

    subgraph Viewers
        NA[Napari]
        FJ[Fiji/ImageJ]
    end

    IX --> PD
    OP --> PD
    BF --> PD
    OM --> PD
    PD --> CO --> EX
    EX --> FN --> PS
    PS --> NA
    PS --> FJ

⚡ Key Capabilities

Shortened. The full README is on GitHub.