13th October 2004 Cambridge, UK: Syncroscopy, the world leader in unique digital imaging solutions for microscopy applications, is pleased to announce that Auto-Montage, its unique 3-D imaging system, has been used at Harvard University to help identify a new ant species from the Dominican Republic.

Researchers at Harvard use Auto-Montage to automatically generate in depth
3-D images of ants, as part of a large, on-going cataloguing project, which aims to produce definitive images of the 13,000 known ant species and help identify new ones. Since the researchers have to record at least four images of different parts of each ant to identify it, without Auto-Montage software it would be a very time consuming manual task to catalogue species or check potential new ones.

Dr Gary Alpert, an entomologist in the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Harvard University explained: “The presence or absence of certain ant species can indicate the ecological damage being done by activities such as mining, deforestation or wars. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all species are correctly identified.”

“We chose Auto-Montage because it produces close up, accurate 3-D ant images that are crucial to species identification. The software is so good it has allowed us to compare a digital image of a recently described new ant species, Thaumatomyrmex mandibularis from Cuba with a species we have just collected from the Dominican Republic. This rapid and simultaneous comparison of specimens has enabled us to say with certainty that the ant from the Dominican Republic is indeed a new species,” added Dr Alpert.

Martin Smith, Syncroscopy’s Divisional Manager stated: “We are delighted that Auto-Montage has helped entomologists at a well-respected University such as Harvard to identify a new ant species. This exciting result will give entomologists world-wide the confidence to use Auto-Montage to generate and apply accurate 3-D insect images to their own taxonomic tasks.”
 

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For Further Information Contact:
Jayne Arthur, Syncroscopy, Beacon House, Nuffield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1TF, UK.
Tel: +44(0) 1223-727127 Fax: +44 (0) 1223-727101
Email: jayne.arthur@syncroscopy.com  Web site: www.syncroscopy.com  

Dr. Gary D. Alpert, Harvard University, Environmental Health and Safety Department, 175 North Harvard Street, Boston, MA 02134, USA.
Tel: +617 4951983 Fax: +617 495 0593
Email: gary_alpert@harvard.edu  Web site: www.harvard.edu

Editor Contact:
Dr Sue Pearson, PO Box 170, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 3GD, UK.
Tel/Fax +44 (0) 1462-635327 Email: sue6.pearson@ntlworld.com

Note to Editors

About Syncroscopy

Syncroscopy develops and manufactures world-leading digital imaging solutions for extending the capabilities of optical microscopes. Syncroscopy's innovative brands include: Auto-Montage, unique software that produces infinite depth of focus images and has 3-D modelling and measurement features; Montage Explorer software, for accurate seamless image stitching of large sample images; and SyncroScan, an automated system, which attaches to digital microscopes to allow high speed sample scanning and precise image stitching. Syncroscopy's software and systems are used by more than 2,000 organisations internationally and include many of the world's major research institutes.


About the EH&S Department at Harvard University

Created in 1958 the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Department at Harvard University provides a broad range of services to promote the protection of the University, community and greater environment. The EH&S staff has access to Harvard’s vast resources, and is part of a vibrant academic community whose ideas are shaping tomorrow's news.