Array Tomography Visualization and Analysis Software

描述（由申请人提供）：神经退行性疾病是人类疾病中最昂贵、最具破坏性和治疗最差的疾病之一，可以说是因为它们还没有得到很好的理解。阵列断层扫描是一种新的组织成像方法，在所有三维空间中的分辨率足以分辨单个突触，并在整个大样本中提供多个（目前约40个）分子成分的定量表征。阵列层析成像数据使得能够在三维组织架构的背景下描述神经网络。我们相信这些数据将使研究人员开始理解神经回路的正常功能，重要的是，开始理解各种神经退行性过程是如何存在和发展的。然而，阵列断层扫描是复杂和昂贵的，并且在2007年首次发表后，在相对较少的研究中使用（Micheva和Smith，2007）。Aratome目前正在为研究界提供阵列断层扫描服务。本申请提出了一种软件应用的开发，该软件应用使多通道图像体积的组装自动化并且提供用于分析那些数据的工具。收集和分析数据构成了当前生产和使用高质量阵列层析成像数据的瓶颈。该软件包将在内部使用，并作为产品提供给研究界。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neurodegenerative diseases are among the most expensive, disruptive, and least well treated of human maladies, arguably because they are not well understood. Array Tomography is a new method for tissue imaging with resolution in all three dimensions sufficient to resolve individual synapses and provide quantitative characterization of multiple (currently ~40) molecular constituents, throughout large samples. Array Tomography imaging data enable description of neural networks in the context of the three-dimensional tissue architecture. We believe such data will enable researchers to begin to comprehend the proper function of neural circuits and, importantly, to begin to understand how it is that the various neurodegenerative processes present and progress. Array Tomography is, however, complex and expensive, and has been used in relatively few studies following the first publication in 2007 (Micheva and Smith, 2007). Aratome is currently offering Array Tomography services to the research community. The present application proposes the development of a software application that automates the assembly of the multi- channel image volumes and provides tools to analyze those data. Assembling and analyzing data constitute the current bottleneck in producing and using high quality Array Tomography data. The package will be used internally and made available as a product to the research community.