Australia’s national ICT research centre, NICTA, has unveiled three new products at the international biotechnology forum, Bio2011, in Washington.

 

The products include a software tool, TrackAssist, that substantially reduces the time it takes cell biologists to analyse the results of their experiments.

 

TrackAssist, developed at NICTA’s Victoria Research Laboratory in Melbourne, automates microscopic image data analysis and quickly extracts biologically relevant information from video sequences of live cells.


Current methods of cell analysis require a lab technician to spend several days undertaking experiments in which several thousand microscopic video images are collected. These are then manually analysed in a process that can take 9-12 months. TrackAssist can reduce this timeframe by weeks or even months. The tool also allows researchers to extract additional cell data such as cell size, intensities and lineage, providing detailed insight into the workings of cells, enabling new types of experiments to be conducted quickly.


“This is not just a productivity tool but a facilitator of new insights that were not previously possible. This advance is of immeasurable value,” said Professor Terry Caelli, Director of NICTA’s Health Business Area.


NICTA collaborated with the Immunology Lab at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne to develop TrackAssist. WEHI provided important information on what immunologists look for in an experiment and validated the software features, ensuring TrackAssist can address the emerging challenges in the field of cell analysis.

The second product is Gossamer, a tool which allows researchers to assemble DNA fragments using cheap commodity computers rather than supercomputers.

 

Existing programs for reconstructing DNA sequences require very large amounts of computer memory, necessitating large and expensive computing infrastructure.

 

The Gossamer prototype assembler, which can be used on smaller computers, was demonstrated at Bio 2011 and is now available to be trialled for non-commercial use.

 

A third NICTA development is a new microchip which is accelerating progress towards an Australian bionic eye.

 

Professor Stan Skafidas, NICTA Research Group Leader, Optics and Nanoelectronics, said the microchip is a step towards the driver of a high-acuity retinal implant, which aims to restore a sense of vision for people with retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration.

 

Researchers have completed probe testing of the high-acuity chip, with encouraging results, and further testing is underway. The team will now work towards delivering a version of the chip with 1000 electrodes and wireless transfer of data and power. This microchip could then proceed to preclinical testing.

 

More information is here.