Communications of the ACM
3-D Gaming Gear Gives Biologists an Eye-Opening Look at Cells in Action
Eric Wait (left) and Andrew Cohen (right) are giving microbiologists an interactive look at the cells they're studying.
Credit: Drexel University
Drexel University researchers are developing software and hardware that will enable scientists to better track and study cell movement and multiplication. The researchers hope to enhance the current visual data these researchers are working with so it is easier to identify changes in cells over time. "This type of imaging is so important because it allows us to see and measure relationships between cells and their environment," says Drexel professor Andrew Cohen.
The new Lineage Editing and Validation (LEVER) software enables researchers to work with the computer to delineate cells, color code them, and denote the exact moment of their division. The researchers say LEVER is easier and more accurate than processing the data manually and it provides more data than what can be obtained by hand. "Visualization of the [three-dimensional] microscopy data together with the analysis results is a key step to measure and ultimately understand what drives these cells," Cohen says.
An enhanced version of the program, LEVER 3-D, compiles data from multi-layered microscopic images and enables researchers to generate a 3-D rendering of the cells and animate it through time to exhibit their multiplication and movement. Images are viewed through 3-D gaming glasses that can zoom in on or rotate an image to provide vantage points not available through a microscope.
From Drexel University
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2014 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found