RE: Open Source Flow Cytometry Data Analysis Software

From: Adam Treister (ast@treestar.com)
Date: Sun Nov 11 2001 - 16:36:29 EST


>
> Nothing would be better than open source flow software. GPLed
> flow software would expidite innovation for data analysis and acquisition.
>
> Karl G. Parato
>

I have an extenstive list of libraries that I'd be happy to contribute to an
open source project.  Just let me know where you want the files.  I'm also
planning to take a crack at implementing the API developed by the ISAC Data
Standards committee.  That will be open source, so anyone who wants to
volunteer to work on that with us, I'd love the help.

In the longer term, I don't think the project should be data analysis or
acquisition. It should be data management.  While you have a half dozen
options for programs to draw your gates, there is not much available to make
it easy to save and access the data generated by the instrument. If we had a
good server system where all the data was secure, backed up and accessible
then we would have the foundation on which to build a whole new set of
analysis tools.

Historically, open source projects work best in the Linux world.  That's
partly self-fulfilling (open source projects eat their parents) and partly
because servers are easier to distribute responsibility than are user
interfaces.   If there were an "Apache for flow" server, you could create
all sorts of home brew analysis tools just by adding Javascripts to your
browser pages.  That would expedite innovation.  More importantly, it would
jump the users forward into an age of "location independence". Users could
access their data from anywhere on the Internet, and there'd be no need for
all the Zip drives consumed by flow users.

Adam

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Adam Treister
Tree Star, Inc.
ph: 800-366-6045 intl: 1-650-591-2854 fax: 1-650-508-9186
adam@treestar.com    www.treestar.com
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>



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