MDS Analytical Technologies, a provider of solutions for drug discovery and life-sciences research, has released the Metaxpresspowercore and Metaxpress 3.0 image acquisition and analysis software.
These advancements are designed to accelerate the throughput of high-content screening (HCS) and to expand toxicity applications to include micronuclei detection.
According to the company, the Metaxpresspowercore software improves workflow and reduces the overall time required for HCS screens by increasing image-analysis speeds.
Image analysis is improved by leveraging a novel parallel-processing infrastructure that can be scaled to the user's throughput needs.
The Metaxpresspowercore software integrates with the existing Metaxpress platform and the MDCStore data-management solution and is licensed by the number of processes required.
Metaxpresspowercore is compatible with the entire suite of Metaxpress application modules.
Meanwhile, the Metaxpress 3.0 software introduces a number of improvements, including data-management utilities such as database optimisation, data archival and deletion.
Metaxpress 3.0 analysis is compatible with the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system and runs all of the recent features of the Metamorph 7.6 software.
Andy Boorn, president of MDS, said: 'Cellular imaging technology has become integral to drug discovery, research and screening and improvements in flexibility and speed are critical for customers.
'The next milestone for HCS is scaling up to primary screening with imaging technology.
'Elimination of image-analysis bottlenecks with these new products is a major accomplishment toward realising this goal,' he added.
Another enhancement to the Metaxpress 3.0 software is the release of the micronuclei application module that allows users to find, evaluate and quantitate micronuclei in nucleated cells for HCS.
Using additional probes, this application module makes it possible for users to differentiate between mitotic, apoptotic and necrotic cells.
