The OptIPuter microscopy demonstrator: enabling science through a transatlantic lightpath

Area of Science:

• Advanced microscopy
• Networked scientific instruments
• Materials science and biological science

Background:

• Concurrent and remote access to world-class electron microscopes is crucial for scientific advancement.
• Existing infrastructure limited collaborative research between geographically dispersed facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a dedicated network infrastructure enabling concurrent and remote operation of electron microscopes.
• To create a permanent, high-performance link between microscopy centers in Oxford and San Diego.
• To lay the groundwork for future remote control of diverse microscopy systems, including optical and electron microscopy.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a dedicated network infrastructure utilizing UK Lightpath and US Starlight systems.
• Integration of electron microscopes, computational resources, and data storage.
• Upgrading Microsoft cluster software to High Performance Computing (HPC) Server 2008 for interoperable clients.

Main Results:

• A permanent network link was established between Oxford and San Diego microscopy centers.
• The system enables concurrent and remote usage of electron microscopes for materials and biological science.
• The infrastructure supports the development of interoperable clients through HPC basic profile implementation.

Conclusions:

• The OptIPuter demonstrator project successfully created a robust, networked microscopy system.
• This permanent link facilitates ongoing and future collaborative research between international sites.
• The established infrastructure provides a foundation for expanding remote control capabilities to other microscopy types.