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Collaborators from NCMIR, NBCR, EVL, and Calit2 to demonstrate integrated environment for the development of multiscale, multimodal, multi-site science at the 2006 Super Computer Conference (SC06).
Rajvikram Singh, Iman Mostafavi, and collaborators from the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR), the National Biomedical Computation Resource (NBCR), the University of Illinois' Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL), the Center for Earth Observations and Applications (CEOA), and the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) will demonstrate how researchers at multiple locations can simultaneously take advantage of advanced networks, software, and computational resources to extend the capabilities of bioscience instrumentation and informatics. Representing two physically separated but virtually connected sites, the NIH's National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) booth and UCSD's Calit2/CEOA booth will conduct the four-day demonstration during this year’s Super Computing Conference at the Tampa Convention Center. Using integrative cyberinfrastructure the cooperative demonstration will feature new ways of interacting and collaborating with high-resolution neuroscience datasets and 3D models of neuronal subcellular structures derived from both light microscopy and electron tomography. Their demonstration will emphasize the benefits of collaboratively visualizing and interacting with high-resolution data on tiled display walls and immersive visualization environments.
Featuring tiled display walls from separate locations on the show floor, the multi-partner demonstration will showcase how researchers can collaboratively interact on multiscale biological models using COVISE the University of Stuttgart's Collaborative Visualization and Simulation Environment) with supporting video and audio connecting each site using SAGE visualcasting (the Scalable Adaptive Graphics Environment) with VLC (an open source cross-platform media player). This demonstration will illustrate the usefulness of OptIPuter technologies (OptIPortal) with COVISE's value-added scientific model exploration and annotation capabilites.
Using ultra-high resolution imaging data, the demonstration will allow researchers to traverse the anatomical scales of the nervous system from whole brain slices down to the interior of subcellular organelles, such as the mitochondria. The demonstration will also feature high-definition video conferencing streams from collaborating sites and data acquired from remote instruments.
Advancing our understanding of the mechanisms of health and disease requires access to a variety of multiscale, multimodal data of biological systems. The four-day SC06 demonstration will highlight how the integration of biomedical research, information technology, and cyberinfrastructure is creating a virtual environment for researchers across multiple locations to collaborate on multiscale, multimodal research questions. Recent developments in high-bandwidth networks, display technology and high performance computing (HPC) are already enabling new partnerships among individuals and teams to analyze and visualize ultra high-resolution data from remote resources collaboratively. The widespread adoption of this new technology for the virtualization of science teams will help drive the development of both the technology and the economy.
