The “21st century microscope” will not be a single instrument; rather it will be an orchestration of specialised imaging technologies, data storage facilities, and specialised data processing engines. The Characterisation Virtual Laboratory will be a powerful platform essential to the future capability of Australian scientists by integrating Australia’s research imaging facilities with computational and data storage infrastructure and tools.

Australian scientists are increasingly using advanced characterisation technologies. To make effective use of these capabilities, researchers must have easy access to a wide collection of sophisticated processing and analysis tools, packaged and accessible in a recognisable manner, and including research enablers such as standard test data and libraries.

The Characterisation Virtual Laboratory (CVL) will: (i) integrate Australia’s imaging equipment with specialised HPC capabilities and with data collection nodes, (ii) provide scientists with a common environment for analysis and collaboration, and (iii) will be developed around three research application (‘drivers’) in multi-modal or large-scale imaging in neuroscience, structural biology, and energy materials.

Each driver is being led by a world-class research group, is supported by an Australian research consortium and is in a national research priority area. The results from this development will be distributed to the community through CVL “Workbenches”.

• Structural Biology. The Structural Biology Workbench will develop, from existing tools, a platform for integrating cryo-EM and crystallography data.

• Neuroimaging. Micro MRI and X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging requires integration of microscopy and MRI data, immense computational power, and a range of specialised software tools and workflows. These components will be integrated and made available through the Neuroimaging Workbench.

• Energy Materials. The Energy Materials Workbench will gather existing programs, algorithms and codes, to integrate the analyses and render the data from X-ray and atom probe tomography.

The key participants and major sponsors for the CVL are the four characterisation facilities: AMMRF, NIF, Australian Synchrotron and ANSTO and four universities: ANU, Monash University, University of Queensland and University of Sydney.