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Lakemba research develops bioinformatics tool to help detect cancer more quickly

A LAKEMBA man has developed a new tool that he says will help speed up the discovery of cancer.

Postdoctorate researcher Matloob Khushi has developed a bioinformatics tool that will help aid the early detection of cancer. Picture: Melanie Russell
Postdoctorate researcher Matloob Khushi has developed a bioinformatics tool that will help aid the early detection of cancer. Picture: Melanie Russell

A LAKEMBA man has developed a new tool that he says will help speed up the discovery of cancer.

The bioinformatics tool, MatCol, was devised by Matloob Khushi, a postdoctoral researcher at the Children’s Medical Research Institute.

Scientists can already manually study dyed proteins under a microscope to see whether the proteins overlap or are in proximity to cancer marker proteins.

But Dr Khushi’s software will allow this to be done automatically, meaning more people can be screened more quickly.

“Single image analysis takes up many hours and scientists are required to study a large cohort of images,” Dr Khushi said.

“MatCol automates this quantification task and can quantify hundreds of images automatically within a few minutes.”

Matloob Khushi at the Children's Medical Centre, Westmead. Picture: Melanie Russell
Matloob Khushi at the Children's Medical Centre, Westmead. Picture: Melanie Russell

Earlier this month, MatCol was published in the online journal Scientific Reports and can be downloaded and used freely around the world.

Dr Khushi said he hoped the bioinformatics tool would be used in worldwide leading research centres for all types of cancers.

“I hope these tools will contribute in finding cure for diseases sooner than anticipated,” Dr Khushi said.

Just last week, Dr Khushi was told another software tool he has developed — MatQuantify — will be published in the scientific journal BMC Bioinformatics.

CRIME FIGURE SET ALIGHT EXPECTED TO DIE

Dr Khushi moved from Pakistan to Australia in 2006. He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney in 2015 and has lived in Lakemba with his wife and four children for the last 10 years. To see the tool visit: nature.com/srep/

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/the-express/lakemba-research-develops-bioinformatics-tool-to-help-detect-cancer-more-quickly/news-story/03f7223356b5a3d4fa1629cd8d5142e4