Implementing a collaboratory for microscopic digital anatomy

Abstract

The Collaboratory for Microscopic Digital Anatomy (CMDA) will allow biologists at remote locations to acquire over the network three-dimensional data on biological structure using a sophisticated high-voltage electron microscope (HVEM) located in San Diego. The CMDA will transparently distribute to high-performance machines on the network computationally intensive tasks for the derivation of three-dimensional datasets from HVEM images using tomography and for volume visualization. Implementation of the CMDA includes development of automated microscope functions for specimen positioning, image focus, registration, and acquisition; an asynchronous communications system for transporting messages and large data sets between processes; a resource manager for access control and routing of tasks to computing or acquisition resources; and systems for tomographic reconstruction and three-dimensional volume visualization. The CMDA is designed to be extensible to other unique centralized instruments. It will increase access to and use of these instruments and high-performance computers by biologists and facilitate remote collaboration.