Who Made It Possible:

• The idea to construct a web-driven database for microscopy images originated from Hans van der Voort and Jan Jitze Krol. Hans van der Voort runs a company (svi) which produces the software package 'huygens', which is used in deconvolution of 3-D (confocal) images. Not accidentally, SIDB uses the huygens package to generate thumbnails for 3-D images. Jan Jitze Krol wrote a first version of a web-driven database. Jan Jitze set up a basic system using the apache web-server, and postgresql.
• Hans was asked to help run a training program for 2nd year computer science students at the University of Utrecht. This group of students (about 10, regretfully I don't have all their names, but they include: Michiel Ypma, Frank Keijzers en Rob) made a nice system employing the scripting language php to 'glue' the webserver apache with the postgresql database.
• As the system was not yet up for prime-time Nico Stuurman refreshed his programming skills and turned the database into something really useful in microscopy groups as well as any organization working with images. Suggestions for improvement from many people were extremely important. Herman Spaink's continuing support and enthusiasm were very important.
• To get the system really up and running the support of Theo van Vliet and Carel Wijffelman to acquire the needed hardware, to provide the necessary network support were essential. They also provided the project with the enthusiasm needed to get it going for real. Armand Larose, Wilco Pasman, and Sjaak Went were equally important in their support of hardware and network matters. Lennert Buytenhek's help to install the system on PCs running linux, to automate the back-up system and to provide all kind of linux (shell) support) was extremely important!.
• From the end of 2000 through 2004, SIDB was maintained by Nico Stuurman. The system's capabilities were expanded considerably, with help of David Martin and Gerald Weber. Now it is a basic tool in projects like the 3Dgenome, where the SIDB is supported by Frank Keijzers and Jose Viña.
• The SIDB is an Open Source project, and its source code can be found at SourceForge.

THANKS!