CSIRO’s HCA-Vision helps researchers find more effective, safer pharmaceuticals and better understand the mechanisms of disease. HCA-Vision is an automated image analysis software package that rapidly and reproducibly measures functional features of neuronal cells in two-dimensional (2D) images.
Image analysis technologies can automatically identify individual cells and measure them
Biotech imaging: imaging for research, diagnostics and drug development
CSIRO develops leading edge methods and software to extract quantitative information from digital images.
- 27 July 2011 | Updated 14 October 2011
- Automating imaging applications
- Key science issues
- How CSIRO is addressing these issues
- Commercial achievements
Automating imaging applications
Digital images contain a wealth of information.
The medical and biotech industries produce massive amounts of image data using technologies such as microscopy, microplate readers, and microarray scanners for purposes like:
- disease diagnostics
- drug discovery
- quality control.
CSIRO’s image analysis research supports the automation of such applications, while boosting throughput, reliability and reproducibility.
Key science issues
One of the key issues addressed at CSIRO is to develop computer vision tools that, like the human eye, can recognise and discriminate between objects but are also able to make detailed, accurate measurements much better and faster than people can.
The CSIRO Biotech Imaging team is led by Dr Pascal Vallotton. The team’s software has been built into commercially available instruments.
How CSIRO is addressing these issues
CSIRO’s Biotech Imaging team is applying a growing portfolio of image analysis technologies to problems like:
- measuring and classifying the shapes of nerve cells exposed to drug treatments
- reliably diagnosing melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer
- detecting contamination in tablets
- determining the extent of crack damage in roads and other surfaces.
We are currently developing cellular screening tools for location proteomics, neurobiology and microbiology.
As part of CSIRO's Computational and Simulation Sciences initiative, we are also exploring applications of graphics processing units (GPUs) to speed up image analysis tasks.
Commercial achievements
CSIRO image analysis software has been built into commercially-available instruments such as:
We also have contributed the image analysis in projects concerning:
Learn more about our work in Quantitative biosciences research overview.
- SolarScan™ is a trade mark of Polartechnics
- ImageXpress™ is a trade mark of Axon Instruments
- RoadCrack™ is a trade mark of CSIRO Australia.
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Fast facts
- Image analysis software allows computers to do many tasks normally carried out by eye
- CSIRO Biotech Imaging's focus is health and biotechnology
- Many years’ of CSIRO image analysis research has led to unique skills and extensive software libraries
- CSIRO Biotech Imaging has a successful track record of working with industry
- The team has won numerous awards and is internationally respected in its field
