Monash histology platform Aperio data storage

Full description

Microscopy in Histology has changed remarkably over the past few years, and imaging and access to online analysis tools for screening and annotating slides is rapidly becoming the standard within any technologically advanced facility. The purchase of the AT and FL Aperio Scanscope units by the Monash Histology Platform has accelerated these technological advances. As a result, there has been a dramatic increase in the storage requirements for imaged slides that require access by researchers, research groups and their collaborators locally, nationally and internationally. Researchers are commanding ease of access to their acquired images as well as the ability to easily share data with all collaborators.

This Collection will facilitate researcher access to imaging data generated from research grants across a number of disciplines. It will facilitate sharing of data with collaborators, reduce the risk of data loss and allow the potential re-use of published data within the wider research community following peer review.

Managed by: Mrs Camilla Cohen

Significance Statement

Monash Histology Platform (MHP) is a world class, full service histology laboratory that provides expert services, training and consultation to a wide range of research groups within the departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Physiology and Pharmacology at Monash University, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Alfred Medical Research and Education Precinct, as well as a number of external research organisations.

MHP acquired the Aperio Scanscope AT Turbo in September 2013. Currently, the user base of the Aperio consists of 90 individual users within 55 research groups. This user base is expected to expand dramatically with the recent acquisition of an Aperio Scanscope FL (fluorescence scanner) in May 2014. It is therefore critical that the MHP expands the storage of the research data collection for the Aperio systems in order to maintain accessibility of data to users at Monash University, external research organisations, as well as national and international research collaborators. Data collected thus far using the Aperio Scanscope is in excess of 13TB and it is anticipated that the data collection will grow to approximately 15TB per year.

Data collected using the Aperio system incorporates medical research work across multiple disciplines and aims to provide researchers with safe, long-term data storage with the scope for multiple analyses of raw histological data generated. This data collection enables easy sharing of data within research groups, but also provides access for research collaborators worldwide. Data collected is accessible from acquisition, with chief investigators from individual research groups having the capacity to share information within their own research groups and extending this to external collaborators.

MHP is currently undergoing ISO9001:2008 certification and with new quality indicators in place it is important to establish a rigorous, controlled strategic research plan for data management and access to research files. As the number of researchers accessing the data and utilising analysis tools grows the strain on the current storage system increases, limiting and compromising the use and further development of analytical image analysis tools and further collaborative possibilities.