Volume Interactions is currently collaborating with The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, US, to develop XtalDexter, reveals Serra. It will be used in crystallography to interact with electron density maps for the identification of protein structure.

Professor Duncan McRee, a crystallographer at The Scripps Research Institute, commented: "The view used by the Dextroscope, a voxel-based view, is a truer and most importantly, more easily perceived, view of the map. Where the Dextroscope becomes most useful though is the manipulation of the electron density map. The user can move it in three dimensions just as he would a real object. He can also use two hands, one for holding the map and moving it, and a second to hold a tool to work on the map.

"Other systems for three-dimensional visualisation exist. The one feature of the Dextroscope that attracted me to it most was the advanced software toolkit ... Good hardware is needed and necessary, but so also is good software. Without a good software toolkit, the development process is arduous and complicated."

The biggest challenge for Volume Interactions now is to get the right team for the young company, Serra says. There is also the need to break down the mental barrier for those used to the traditional way of doing things in their specialised fields, and convince them to try out new methods.

For further information, contact Dr Luis Serra at: lserra@volumeinteractions.com, or check out the company website at: www.volumeinteractions.com

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