Leginon software system, for automated control and image acquisition from a transmission electron microscope (TEM), will now be available to the global scientific community as open source code
Leginon software was developed by Scripps with funding from the US National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health and has been marketed by FEI since 2003.
It is most commonly used for single particle analysis (SPA) applications, where three-dimensional models of nanoscale particles are created.
Leginon enables TEM users to collect very large numbers of high quality images of macromolecules under low dose conditions.
The automated system is integrated with a database that keeps track of all acquired images, the imaging parameters associated with them, as well as the relationship between images acquired from the same target at a variety of scales.
The application helps improve throughput for single particle data acquisition, both by increasing the number of images acquired as well as the number of different specimens that can be imaged and analyzed.
"The relationship between FEI and our group at the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) was critical to the initial development of Leginon as well as the subsequent rapid implementation of new features suggested by the user community," said Bridget Carragher, director of the US National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, which is based at TSRI.
Clint Potter, a co-director of the Resource added: "The generosity of FEI in releasing Leginon under an open source license ensures that the software can now continue to be developed by the scientific community for the benefit of everyone".
"We are pleased to have worked with the Scripps Research Institute for many years on the Leginon program and we are happy to make the Leginon software available under an open source license," commented Matt Harris, vice president of FEI's NanoBiology division.
"The widespread availability of this proven and highly functional software will accelerate scientific discovery and development in life sciences for many years to come."
