At the 15th Annual Society for Biomolecular Sciences Conference, PerkinElmer, Inc, a global leader focused on the health and safety of people and their environment, announced a cellular imaging and analysis software relationship with Accelrys, Inc, a leading provider of scientific business intelligence software and services.

The collaboration is aimed at providing researchers with unprecedented capabilities for the detection and analysis of single cells via high content screening (HCS) technologies, for faster and better outcomes in identifying cellular markers associated with human health and disease. To that end, the companies have integrated PerkinElmer's Columbus image data management system for HCS with Accelrys' Pipeline Pilot data analysis and reporting platform.

In order to allow a comprehensive single cell based image analysis for researchers, PerkinElmer's Columbus software will provide the detailed images containing single cells as well as large amounts of cell level data, and Accelrys' Pipeline Pilot platform will furnish intelligent algorithms and image analysis data transfer capability.

"The ability to easily provide researchers with detailed images and data on specific individual cells in a high content screening environment represents a major advance in cellular technologies and approaches," said Richard M Eglen, president, Bio-discovery, PerkinElmer. "Scientists benefit from access to multiplexed cellular information including morphology, intensity, complexity and intensity of specific compartments, as well as fluorescence translocation, morphology changes, and texture analysis, among other read outs."

"This collaboration is a compelling new approach to bring the benefits of HCS to a single cell level," said Frank Brown, vice president and chief science officer of Accelrys. "The outcome of this integration will enable scientists to apply all the data and statistical analysis they are used to seeing from a well based level to a single cell level, allowing deeper understanding of cellular processes. The use of machine learning and computer automation on the large amounts of data generated brings the early promise of high content screening to fruition."

PerkinElmer's Columbus software is a flexible, convenient solution for high volume image storage and management. Designed as a partner product for image based screening systems such as the Opera or Operetta systems, PerkinElmer's premier cellular imaging readers, the software has the added benefit of full compatibility with a wide range of image file formats. The columbus software can be easily used to archive and manage images from confocal and standard research microscopes, and acts as a convenient central repository for all image data.

Accelrys' Pipeline Pilot data analysis and reporting platform is a powerful software platform that streamlines integration and analysis of vast quantities of data flooding research informatics. Pipeline Pilot provides an agile development environment, fast and secure deployment, minimal maintenance costs, and application extensibility. Pipeline Pilot empowers research organizations to derive greater value from their information resources through enterprise-scale data flow control, extensive data mining, intelligent decision support, and effective reporting.

PerkinElmer is a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Accelrys develops scientific business intelligence software and solutions for the life sciences, energy, chemicals, aerospace, and consumer products industries.