[RASMB] MacNonlin for OS X (or anything close)

Borries Demeler demeler at biochem.uthscsa.edu
Mon Apr 12 09:21:00 PDT 2004


> Dear RASMB,
> 
> Is there a relatively current version of MacNonlin out there?  All I've 
> been able to find is the OS7-era version, the link to which doesn't 
> even appear to be active.  I've been processing XL-A sedimentation 
> equilibrium data on a series of related constructs for about a year 
> now, mostly by hand (loving the Excel Macros)--but that's only going to 
> go so far when it comes to trying to fit multiple self-associations.  
> Unix would even be fine--anything besides the Windows version?
> 
> Reba Howard

Reba,

You and others interested in platform alternatives for sedimentation
analysis should take a look at UltraScan.

UltraScan has a full-featured global fitting module for equilibrium
experiments, whith built-in extinction coefficient correction for fitting
of unlimited number of speeds, loading concentrations and wavelengths
scans. You can choose from several fitting algorithms such as Levenberg
Marquardt, Quasi Newton and Gauss Newton. There is also a nonnegatively
constrained general least squares fitter for obtaining MW distributions
similar in concept to the C(s) distributions from Peter Schuck's velocity
analysis program. You can select from a number of predefined nonlinear
models and define your own models as well.  It also has a built in
presentation graphics module similar to Origin to create publication
quality graphs.

I should also mention that UltraScan has a Monte Carlo module for
statistical analysis of your fitting results. When used in the Unix
environment, UltraScan offers a Beowulf Cluster module that allows you
to perform the Monte Carlo analysis on many machines in parallel.
This option is not available in the Microsoft Windows port, although
you can still use the Monte Carlo analysis on a single Windows machine.
If the computer has multiple processors, the multi-threaded fitter will
take advantage of it, and you can run multiple Monte Carlo instances on
an SMP machine, even with the Windows version.

UltraScan is available for Intel Linux, Mac Linux PPC, Sparc Linux,
Microsoft Windows, SGI Irix, and we now have a beta version for Mac OSX
(needs some tweaking for a successful installation). It can be 
downloaded for free for academic use from http://www.ultrascan.uthscsa.edu
Support is also available.

Documentation is avalable on the web:

Experimental design considerations:
http://www.ultrascan.uthscsa.edu/tutorial/equil_tutorial.html

Nonlinear least squares fitter:
http://www.ultrascan.uthscsa.edu/manual/nls.html

Global nonlinear least squares analysis with UltraScan:
http://www.ultrascan.uthscsa.edu/manual/equil1.html

Let me know if you need addtl. information.

Regards, -Borries
---
Borries Demeler, Ph.D.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Dept. of Biochemistry, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900
Voice: 210-567-6592, Fax: 210-567-4575, Email: demeler at biochem.uthscsa.edu





More information about the RASMB mailing list