iolite data reduction software package acquired by Elemental Scientific Inc.

iolite, a data reduction software package created at the University, has been acquired by US-based company Elemental Scientific Inc.

Developed by a team of researchers led by Professor Janet Hergt and Professor Jon Woodhead from the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, iolite is a powerful and intuitive software package used for processing time-resolved mass spectrometry data, particularly from laser ablation systems.

From humble beginnings, including a small development grant from the Hermon Slade foundation in 2006, iolite has evolved over two decades with contributions from PhD students, post-docs and other University of Melbourne staff to become a product now comprising around 150,000 lines of code.

Combining a flexible but powerful visualisation environment with innovative approaches to data reduction, iolite remains the only software package of its kind handling everything from routine trace element analysis, right through to imaging, geochronology and high-end isotopic investigations.

iolite is used in numerous University, government and private sector research facilities around the globe, and its acquisition represents an outstanding example of commercialisation of University research making an international impact.

The iolite software will be made available through Elemental Scientific Inc.’s subsidiary, Elemental Scientific Lasers.

iolite’s current coding team, Dr Bence Paul and Dr Joe Petrus, have moved to Elemental Scientific Inc to provide a seamless transition for current users and to help spearhead the future development of the program.