PerkinElmer Launching Columbus 2.3 Image Storage and Analysis System

PerkinElmer Inc., focused on the health and safety of people and the environment, showcased the enhanced Columbus 2.3 Image Data Storage and Analysis System at the High Content Analysis Conference in San Francisco.

                   
Overview of well generated by the Columbus system

Researchers in the areas of cancer and stem cells, predictive toxicity, neuroscience and developmental biology can benefit from the improved capabilities of the updated Columbus system, which are intended to enable faster and more powerful high content analysis-based research applications.

The Columbus 2.3 platform now enables scientists to perform their high content analysis on one platform, from image analysis through to secondary analysis, regardless of which high content screening (HCS) instrument they have. The secondary analysis capabilities can enable scientists to select small interfering RNA (siRNA) or compounds with desirable inhibition or activation effects, by proving the statistical significance of the observations made at the image analysis stage of a high content screening campaign. Multiple plates or batches are analyzed, filtering out anomalies and identifying trends.

The improved morphology analysis capability of the software is designed to give scientists a more complete understanding of the effects different treatments have on cell samples, adding to the Columbus system’s already analysis tools that enable scientists to analyze high content images acquired on any instrument.

The platform is designed to shorten high content analysis workflow and ultimately accelerate research in disease, biology and drug discovery. The updated system’s new secondary analysis capabilities and improved morphology analysis make the Columbus platform one of the only universal high-volume image analysis and storage solutions available for high content screening. The Columbus system supports an range of image file formats for microscopy and screening with import filters and through compliance with the Open Microscopy Environment (OME).

"PerkinElmer understands how important data analysis is to our customers. The Columbus system provides researchers with a single solution for high content analysis that is designed to enable analysis of data from all major HCS systems in a consistent way and compare the cellular parameters, thereby leading to better quality and more statistically relevant results," said Achim Von Leoprechting, vice president and general manager, in-vitro solutions, PerkinElmer.

This version of the Columbus system features an improved version of PerkinElmer’s machine-learning technology, PhenoLOGIC, which makes cell classification as easy as point-and-click. It also includes changes to the user interface which make it similar to the instrument control software for PerkinElmer’s Operetta High Content Imaging and Opera High Content Screening Systems, intended to reduce time spent training staff on the use of multiple software platforms.

PerkinElmer, Inc. reported revenue of approximately $1.7 billion in 2010, has about 7,000 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries.