General UltraScan Questions:

Index:

  1. What is UltraScan?
  2. Is UltraScan free?
  3. Which instruments are supported by UltraScan?
  4. Which operating systems can UltraScan run on?
  5. Does UltraScan support GMP environments, and does it satisfy 21 CFR Part 11 requirements?
  6. Can I get support for UltraScan?
  7. Where can I request a new feature or report a bug?
  8. How can I contribute to the open source UltraScan project?
  9. Who funds the development of UltraScan?
  10. What is the difference between UltraScan and Sedfit?
  11. Does UltraScan support sedimentation equilibrium experiments?
  12. Is UltraScan open source?
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  1. What is UltraScan? - UltraScan is a comprehensive analysis software suite for analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and small angle scattering experiments (SAXS, SANS) and hydrodynamic bead modeling through its Solution Modeler (SOMO) module. UltraScan has several components to work together to provide a user-friendly, flexible, robust, efficient and comprehensive experience for the user. It features a modular GUI software, a web-based LIMS system, a database backend for data management and storage, and a high-performance computing (HPC) module for efficient batch mode operation and high-speed analysis through parallel computing. UltraScan has a built-in data acquisition module for the Beckman-Coulter Optima AUC instrument, and includes multiple analysis modules for the 2-dimensional spectrum analysis (2DSA), genetic algorithms (GA), discrete model Genetic Algorithms (DMGA), Monte Carlo, enhanced van Holde - Weischet, parametrically constrained spectrum analysis (PCSA), dc/dt, second moment, and density matching experiments, and the Custom Grid analysis. In addition, it supports global fitting of multiple sedimentation velocity experiments, the analysis of analytical buoyant density equilibrium experiments (ABDE), and provides comprehensive spectral analysis and multi-wavelength SV/SE experimental analysis modules. It includes a comprehensive simulation tool for sedimentation velocity and equilibrium experiments, and offers true GMP analysis solutions for biopharma users. It includes noise processing for intensity equilibrium experiments, and offers a vast range of utilities for studies in the solution environment.
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  2. Is UltraScan free? - Yes, the entire UltraScan suite is open source and is freely available. You can freely download binary distributions for Linux, Windows and Macintosh computers from https://www.ultrascan3.aucsolutions.com/software.php.
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  3. Which instruments are supported by UltraScan? - UltraScan can consume data from the Optima AUC, the Proteomelab XLA/XLI instruments, the Aviv fluorescence system’s AOS data, and the Cölfen Optics openAUC multi-wavelength data.
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  4. Which operating systems can UltraScan run on? - UltraScan is a true multi-platform applications that natively supports Linux, Windows and Macintosh computers. The software is programmed in C++ using the QT framework, which offers multi-platform support.
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  5. Does UltraScan support GMP environments, and does it satisfy 21 CFR Part 11 requirements? - Yes, UltraScan fully supports cGMP environments for AUC, and follows 21 CFR Part 11 requirements. It provides fully automated workflows for data acquisition, editing and analysis of data, and user-configurable reporting. It also provides automatically generated read-only protocols, audit trails, user roles, and electronic signatures.
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  6. Can I get support for UltraScan? - AUC Solutions provides commercial support for UltraScan, and offers Optima AUC calibration and integration services with UltraScan-in-a-Box. Please visit AUC Solutions on the web for additional information.
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  7. Where can I request a new feature or report a bug? - You can report a ticket or request a new feature with a detailed description at https://github.com/ehb54/ultrascan-tickets/issues. Please provide all relevant information for bug reports, such as UltraScan release number (found on the splash screen of the UltraScan GUI), a screenshot of the error message, the actions that led up to the bug, and if possible, any steps that can be used to reproduce the error. Assign yourself in Github to any bug report or feature request to assure that you are copied on followup correspondence in case of additional questions.
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  8. How can I contribute to the open source UltraScan project? - UltraScan is an open source project on Github. To contribute to the UltraScan development team please send your Github account name to support@aucsolutions.com and we will add your name to the repository.
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  9. Who funds the development of UltraScan? - UltraScan development is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through grants GM-120600 and RR-022200, as well as the National Science Foundation grants DBI-9974819, ANI-228927, DBI-9724273, and TG-MCB070038, and the Canada 150 Research Chair program and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. 
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  10. What is the difference between UltraScan and Sedfit? - UltraScan and Sedfit are not comparable. UltraScan is targeting users who demand highest precision, resolution and performance. UltraScan supports much larger datasets, more analysis methods, provides higher accuracy, offers higher performance and faster data analysis, supports much larger experiments including larger datasets, and offers many features not available in Sedfit. For a detailed comparison please review this information. Additional detail can be found in this white paper.
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  11. Does UltraScan support sedimentation equilibrium experiments? - Yes, UltraScan supports data analysis of both sedimentation velocity (SV) and equilibrium (SE) experiments. Please understand that each SE experiment will include an SV experiment in the approach to equilibrium, so you can never run an SE experiment without also running a SV experiment, so as far as UltraScan is concerned, you would simply also collect the approach to equilibrium data and analyze that globally together with the final scan which presumably would be at equilibrium. Then UltraScan would analyze both SV and SE experiments in a global manner for higher data accuracy. But even if you don't include equilibrium data you would still get the same answer. For ABDE experiments, the approach-to-equilibrium portion of the data is not required and the SE portion can be analyzed separately.
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  12. Is UltraScan open source? - Yes, UltraScan is licensed under the Lesser GNU Public License version 3.0 (LGPL v3). It gives you the right to freely copy and distribute the UltraScan source code, binary distributions, documentation, and any derivative work, and to link your open or closed source software to precompiled binaries of the unmodified UltraScan source and commercially distribute it. You are not allowed to modify UltraScan and make it closed source for distribution. Any modifications made to UltraScan must remain open source and must be made available back to the community.
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