Access Grid research meeting- between Adelaide and Melbourne

As above - local participants

Remote research collaboration via the Access Grid

Prof. Peter Rathjen, Dean of Science, University of Melbourne
Dr. Joy Rathjen, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne
Dr. Rebecca Keough, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide

The Access Grid is a web-based collaborative communications package which incorporates video/audio-conference tools, remote interactive control of software, and distributed viewing of content.

It can be used for remote meetings with just "talking heads"; for remote teaching or meetings with interaction between participants as well as one-way or interactive content display; and, with the appropriate applications, interactive research and research discussion with remote control of software and hardware.

The Embryonic Stem Cell Lab, University of Adelaide, makes use of SAPAC's Access Grid Meeting Room each week to hold its research laboratory meeting. As the head of the laboratory, Professor Peter Rathjen, is based at the University of Melbourne, researchers at his Adelaide and Melbourne laboratories communicate "face-to-face" via Access Grid. At these meetings, research scientists present their work, discuss latest data, confer on recent scientific literature publications, swap information gathered from conference attendance and plan future research projects.

The meetings involve 17 participants and feature a "shared" powerpoint presentation which is viewed simultaneously in each location, in conventional meeting room conditions. Scientific images, including detailed pictures of cells and mouse embryos, can be shown in large format while maintaining good quality resolution.

The Access Grid facility allows the two laboratories to maintain a high level of information exchange and to keep up to date with each other's research progress. It also means lab members can meet personally without the need for travel. Meetings may also be held as often as is felt necessary, and with great freedom in scheduling.