Grid computing in 3D-EM image processing using Xmipp

Image processing in three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM) is characterized by large amounts of data, and voluminous computing requirements. Here, we report our first experience with grid computing in this area. We present an interface between grid computing middleware and our image processing package Xmipp. The efficacy of this approach was illustrated with an Xmipp application for estimation of the contrast transfer function. In addition, we report our experience with grid computing in the development of a novel image refinement algorithm based on maximum likelihood principles. Its extensive CPU-requirements might have seriously hampered the algorithm development, if not for the far-reaching resources of grid computing. Our results suggest that electron microscopy image processing may be particularly well suited for grid computing.