Real-time GPU-Accelerated Software Pipeline for Next-Generation Lens-Free Fluorescence Microscopy
Master internship - Leuven | More than two weeks ago
What you will do
At imec, the System Software team develops applications that interact with complex hardware systems, ranging from implantable neural probes and lens-free imaging platforms to DNA sequencers and edge computing systems. This project focuses on bringing a research-grade computational imaging pipeline to production-level performance. The system reconstructs fluorescence images from a compact lens-free microscope by solving a spatially varying deconvolution problem. In this role, you will profile, redesign, and GPU-accelerate the pipeline to enable real-time rendering, helping bridge the gap between applied optics research and embedded imaging software. Your responsibilities will include:
- Conduct a literature and background review on lens-free imaging reconstruction and the existing pipeline
- Restructure the codebase by refactoring notebooks and scripts into a maintainable Python package with clean interfaces, configuration, and basic testing
- Perform benchmarking and profiling to identify performance bottlenecks and define realistic speed targets
- Contribute to algorithm and image quality improvements in alignment with stakeholders, for example by reducing artefacts and improving reconstruction quality
- Implement performance improvements, including the exploration of GPU acceleration where appropriate, based on profiling results
- Support integration by collaborating with the team to connect the package to internal libraries and the graphical user interface
- Prepare documentation and report your work, including a small demo and a concise summary of results and recommended next steps
What we do for you
imec is a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. In the Innovative Systems and Software Applications (ISSA) department, you will collaborate with experts in software engineering who build the tools and applications that bring imec's hardware innovations to life. You will work in the System Software team within the Software Development & Prototyping (SDP) group, embedded in a team of experienced developers working on real-world systems across domains such as neuroscience, imaging, genomics, and edge computing. In this role, you will gain hands-on experience across the full lifecycle of a software engineering productization project.
Who you are
- You are a MSc student in Computer Science, Electronics, or a related field
- You are available for a period of 3–6 months (share your available period in the application)
- You can communicate clearly and work independently
- You have good written and verbal English skills
- You enjoy coding in Python and are interested in writing clean, reusable code
- You are interested in image processing and computational imaging (e.g. OpenCV, PyTorch)
- You are eager to learn, take initiative, and deliver tangible results
Type of internship: Master internship
Duration: 3 Months
Required educational background: Computer Science, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering
Supervising scientist(s): For further information or for application, please contact Cagatay Ozdemir (Cagatay.Ozdemir@imec.be)
The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-183. Mention this reference code in your application.
Imec allowance will be provided.
Applications should include the following information:
- resume
- motivation
- current study
Incomplete applications will not be considered.