Researchers from MUN's Chemistry Department are better able to understand molecular interactions using the 3-D facility, which also serves as a valuable teaching aid. (Images were generated using UCSF Chimera Molecular Modelling software.
researchers from other fields as well. "The lab has other applications, too," says Hall, "such as revealing matter at the molecular level and peering into the structure of DNA." Chemists and biochemists are currently using the lab to view complex organic molecular structures, so wellrendered that "you can reach right out and touch some of the atoms. So it really is a very good 3-D representation, very lifelike," says Hall. The lab is also actively seeking to extend the range of its projects to fluid dynamics, a variety of ocean technologies, medical imaging and human anatomy. The lab received permission to display the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Visible Human Project, an anatomically detailed, 3-D representation of a human body, to demonstrate how these imaging tools used in geophysics can be applicable in other areas of science. (See Photo above). "We're interested in imaging the offshore -- that's our bread and butter, if you like -- but this facility has capabilities beyond that," Hall says. "The intention is to extend its usage over many other areas of science where visualizing complex structures is of value, whether it's understanding small structures like understanding molecular structure or large-scale structures like fluid dynamics - understanding how structures on the seabed respond to waves and things like that." In addition to supporting research activities, the laboratory is also designed to serve as a high-end multi-media conferencing site. Equipped with a Dolby 5.1 surround
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sound system and wireless Internet access for the participants, their hardware is capable of accommodating any modern media: DVD and VHS playback, Internet streaming, video conferencing, and web-based or slide show presentations. Guests may use the IBM cluster as their data repository, or use their own laptop or desktop computers, depending on their security requirements and convenience. The Visualization Laboratory is a component of the Computing, Simulation and Landmark Visualization Facility, and is part of Memorial University's Core Research Equipment and Instrument Training Network (CREAIT). The facility was made possible by close co-operation and support from its partners: MUN, Landmark Graphics (owned by Halliburton Company,) IBM Canada Ltd., and Panoram Technologies. The Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, through the Atlantic Innovation Fund, also made generous financial contributions to the project. The lab is available to undergraduate and graduate students, university and government agency researchers, and private sector R&D companies, and Memorial University welcomes requests to use the laboratory from people in diverse fields of science, engineering, medicine and the arts. Inquiries by potential users should be addressed to the CREAIT office at (709) 737-8000 ext. 3750 or to the CSLV staff listed at http://www.mun.ca/creait.
Marine Technology Reporter 37
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