More than 60 customers shared their experiences and provided insight for development of new tools during Cellomics's second annual European user group meeting held recently in Dublin
Cellomics sponsors annual user group meetings in both the United States and Europe.
The meetings bring together scientists from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as well as key academic institutions to address productive uses of high content analysis applications and technologies, which are playing an increasing role in cell biology research and drug discovery.
"These conferences are an ideal forum for us to interact with our customers," said Dan Calvo, president and chief executive officer of Cellomics.
"They facilitate discussion of usability improvements, provide direction for new product development and foster networking among our customers." The meeting at Trinity College, which is a Cellomics customer, took place 7-8 June 2006.
The agenda included an update on Cellomics's expansion in Europe; an overview of new products; scientific presentations by customers, who briefed attendees on their own use of HCS; an introduction to complementary technologies offered by Fisher Biosciences, including recently acquired BioImage; and a facilitated Q+A concerning Cellomics technologies.
In addition, there was an overview of two new technologies: the Neuronal Profiling BioApplicaton, which is an image analysis module for studying neurite outgrowth and different types of measurements associated with neuronal biology; and the VTI Live module, which is a complete live cell chamber and kinetic software for Cellomics's ArrayScan VTI HCS Readers.
"Our employees and customers represent the largest pool of high content screening and analysis knowledge available," said Calvo.
"The Dublin conference allowed us to share this knowledge and perpetuate the successful use of HCS technology, while simultaneously helping us to better meet the needs of our customers by providing insight into their future requirements." Trinity College has approximately 40 scientists using high content screening technology, and the number is growing, according to Anthony Davies, high content analysis research facility manager at Trinity's Institute of Molecular Medicine.
The College has also developed a master's course in high content screening, with the participation of specialists from research institutions and companies like Cellomics that are leaders in high-content analysis technology.
Davies said that the recent Cellomics user group meeting was very useful to the college.
"We have a diversity of scientific projects ongoing in areas such as cancer, inflammation, nanotechnology, infection and immunity," said Davies.
"The meeting here at Trinity provided us with an excellent opportunity to discuss our work with Cellomics and to benefit from the company's extensive scientific expertise".
"We were very excited to host the European User Group meeting, and we look forward to further collaboration with Cellomics with our newly developed master's programme."
