Use the full power of your multi-core computer for fast, responsive data processing on Wyatt Technology’s patented analysis infrastructure. Read more
Let the computer do the work. Process one file yourself, and let ASTRA handle the rest. Read more
Find any result in just a few clicks, and incorporate them into your reports. Change number formatting and presentation at will. Read more
Learn about the dozens of other amazing features in ASTRA 6. More analysis options, better performance,
and easier to use than ever before. Learn more
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Unmatched Analysis
Building on over 20 years of light scattering research and development, ASTRA 6 includes a wide range of analysis features unrivaled in the marketplace. Designed to take full advantage of modern multicore computers, ASTRA 6 processes data at blazing speeds and with superior accuracy.
Customizable Analysis
Choose from one of the dozens of predefined analysis methods, or create your own.
Research by definition means you are breaking new ground. While our existing analysis methods cover a wide range of applications, your specific research goals may lie outside these options. That’s why we designed ASTRA to support customizable analysis methods so that you can decide which data processing features to use. Learn more…
Cutting Edge Technology
Take advantage of Wyatt Technology’s patented technologies.
Wyatt Technology is committed to pushing macromolecular characterization to new levels. Consequently, we have a very strong program to develop intellectual property. Many of the algorithms in ASTRA are on the cutting edge of scientific analysis, and are either patented or have patents pending. ASTRA is protected by U.S. patent Numbers: 5,528,366; 6,411,383; 6,651,009; 6,774,994; 7,386,427; 7,911,594; German Patent Numbers: 694 33 615.7-08; 603 19 078.2-08; British Patents Based on European Application Numbers: EP 0 665 433; EP 1 510 807; Japanese Patent Numbers: 3,580,380; 4,439,211; 4,381,914; and other patents pending.
Please contact Wyatt Technology if you wish to incorporate any ASTRA functionality into your own software.
Molar Mass Determination
Determine molar mass and size.
Molar Mass via Light Scattering
Light scattering stands alone in its ability to measure the molar mass of macromolecules in solution both accurately and quickly. Learn more…
Molar Mass via Conventional and Universal Calibration
Build a bridge between legacy conventional and universal calibration results and modern, accurate light scattering analysis. Learn more…
Protein Conjugate and Copolymer Analysis
Determine molar mass, size, and relative fractions.
If you have an RI detector, a UV detector, and a light scattering instrument, you can directly measure the molar mass, size, and relative fractions of copolymers and protein conjugates. Learn more…
Particles and Number Density
Determine size and number density with just a light scattering detector.
It is possible to measure the size and number density of a sample with just a light scattering instrument. ASTRA supports several sophisticated models to determine the size of a macromolecule based solely on the angular variation in the light scattering intensity. Learn more…
Translational Diffusion and Hydrodynamic Radius
Determine translational diffusion and hydrodynamic radius with dynamic light scattering.
Online QELS
With the support of a QELS instrument module, you can extend your data analysis to determine the translational diffusion and corresponding hydrodynamic radius of your samples. Learn more…
QELS batch Regularization and Cumulants
Determine translational diffusion and corresponding hydrodynamic radius of your unfractionated samples. Learn more…
Viscometry
Measure viscosity directly using the Wyatt ViscoStar.
ASTRA provides several analysis features that take advantage of viscosity data. Use these features to further quantify your macromolecules to determine Mark-Houwink-Sakurada terms, hydrodynamic radius, and more. Learn more…
Molecular Conformation
Assess the shape of your molecules.
The shape of molecules can be assessed from the molar mass and rms radius of the sample. Learn more…
Branching
Determine polymer branching from light scattering, viscosity, or both.
ASTRA includes sophisticated branching calculations to assess the branching characteristics of a polymer sample.Learn more…
Distributions
Evaluate the distribution of components in a sample.
Sample properties are determined for individual peaks in a chromatography run. ASTRA also supports visualizing these data in terms of the distribution of these measured quantities. This is extremely powerful when assessing how much of a sample falls with a particular range of molar mass or size.Learn more…
Second Virial Coefficient (A2) Measurements
Determine macromolecule self-association behavior.
The second virial coefficient (A2) is a measure of macromolecular self-association, and is one of the few parameters that can be used to predict the crystallization properties of a sample. ASTRA allows you to measure this important characteristic. Learn more…
dn/dc and UV extinction coefficient determination
Measure the dn/dc and UV extinction coefficients for your novel samples.
While dn/dc and UV extinction coefficients are documented for many existing compounds, they must be experimentally determined for novel samples. ASTRA provides analysis features to measure these critical sample characteristics. Learn more…
Band Broadening Correction
Model and account for inter-detector mixing effects.
While most analysis packages force you to live with the undesirable effects of passing a sample through a series of detectors. ASTRA 6’s revolutionary band broadening correction accounts for these effects to give you most accurate results possible. Learn more…
Absorbance Correction
Account for samples that absorb light.
ASTRA can account for samples that absorb light so that molar mass and size measurements can still be accurately performed. Learn more…
Blank Subtraction
Flatten out complicated FFF runs.
Certain analysis techniques, such as FFF, cause large changes in refractive index and viscosity measurements as flow rates are modified during the run. This can make it difficult to properly analyze the file, as the RI and viscosity changes due to flow and pressure changes mask those caused by the sample. ASTRA provides a mechanism to subtract a data collection run without sample (a ‘blank’) from a sample run to reveal the sample-specific signal changes. Learn more…
Error Analysis
ASTRA provides a rock-solid scientific foundation for your results.
Wyatt Technology software is written by scientists for scientists. ASTRA was desiged from the ground up to properly compute and propagate uncertainties to ensure our results are publication-quality. Learn more…
Rebuilt from the ground up to meet the needs of scientists working with large sets of data, ASTRA 6 has the tools you need to process and report on replicates. The new “One-to-Many” processing interface lets you focus on your goals, and leave the drudgery to the computer.
EASI Table
Everything you need at a glance.
With the new EASI Table feature, you can quickly compare multiple data runs to assess compound stability and consistency. The table data can be easily exported in a variety of formats, or copied and pasted into your favorite word processing software.
You can easily specify which data should be displayed in EASI Table, as well as the format and precision used to display the values. You can switch from percent to numerical uncertainties, or omit them entirely.
Sequence Processing
Collect data while you sleep.
Sequences are used to specify and control the automated collection of data. A sequence can be configured with a default experiment method, such that all samples are collected in the same fashion. Additionally, a different method can be specified for each sample, making it possible to collect different types of data for each sample (e.g., QELS collection on two out of ten runs), or perform post-collection maintenance, such as running the COMET flow cell cleaner, or moving the ORBIT to recycle mode.
In the samples view, it is possible to modify sample parameters on-the-fly, adding samples, changing collection times, or skipping samples.
One-To-Many
Let your computer do the work.
ASTRA 6 allows you to process an experiment as you wish, then instruct the computer to apply the same settings and analysis steps on any number of additional data files. You can quickly and easily specify which elements of your ‘source’ experiment should be incorporated in the target experiments.
Once the processing is finished, your resulting data files are fully analyzed and ready to be reviewed.
Take control of your analysis reporting with ASTRA 6’s custom reporting system. With just a few mouse clicks, adjust which data to display and how it should be formatted. Add your own logo, incorporate some personal notes, or just pare the default reports to focus on what you care about.
Customizable Logo and Summary
Personalize your reports.
In addition to the numerical and content selections provided in the Report Designer, ASTRA 6 allows you to specify a logo image, and where it should be displayed. You can specify the title as well as additional summary information or notes that will appear on the report.
Personalized Data Selection
Choose your data. Choose your formatting.
Show your achievements.
Control the content and presentation of your reports with a few mouse clicks. Any bit of data generated during analysis is now available for you to incorporate into your report, with just a click of the mouse.
Full Numerical Formatting
Choose your display style and precision. Click on a result, and ASTRA 6 presents a simple, intuitive interface for controlling the numerical precision and display format of the result. Quickly and easily change results from fixed point to scientific notation, increase or decrease the number of significant digits to display, and determine if you wish uncertainties to be displayed as numerical values or percentages.
Streamlined interface, new graphics features, easier instrument communication. Anywhere you look you will find improvements in ASTRA 6.
Streamlined Interface
Fewer clicks, less complexity, a better experience
Simpler Workspace
All of your experiments, sequence, and instruments are at your fingertips with the new workspace design. Visual clutter is reduced by displaying only the items related to the user’s current focus. A dynamic count is displayed in each tab heading so you know at a glance how many active instrument connections you have, how many experiments you have open, and whether you have any active sequences.
Detailed Analysis Validation Let ASTRA help you diagnose unsuccessful analysis
A common source of analysis errors is failing to input required terms, such as dn/dc, sphere coating thickness, or UV extinction coefficient. ASTRA now keeps an eye out for these common errors, and warns the user if they seem to be doing something wrong.
Experiment Validation
When asked, ASTRA can generate an overall view of the experiment analysis and let you know if anything looks wrong.
Warnings During Analysis
ASTRA 6 also presents users with warnings in the data analysis user interface. For example, users sometimes forget to specify the dn/dc of a sample, which is critical to computing molar mass. ASTRA 6 warns the user about this omission without generating a pop-up box to break the user’s workflow.
Simple Instrument Communications
The journey from receiving your instrument to getting to work has never been shorter.
Several new features have been built into ASTRA 6 to simplify the task of setting up and using instruments.
Configuration Wizard
Once an instrument is connected to your network, ASTRA can see and interact with it. We’ve used that capability to create the Configuration Wizard, which allows you to build a complete data collection method in just a few mouse clicks. In only four steps (three if you are working in Batch mode), ASTRA does everything you need to get started collecting and analyzing data.
Instrument Pane
Keeping track of your instruments has never been easier. ASTRA’s Instrument Pane allows you to see the live state of you instruments during data collection, allowing you to see what (if any) alarms are active, and whether communications with the instrument are running properly.
Custom Plots
Using ASTRA’s powerful graphing technology, users have immediate access to publication quality graphs of the most important data. Moreover, these graphs can be completely customized using feature-rich graph editing tools. Final results can be printed or exported to common graph formats such as jpeg, png, gif, postscript, and metafiles.
Surface Plots
Get a bird’s eye view of your data
ASTRA 6 allows you to display your data in interactive 3D visualizations. This can be very useful for getting a ‘big picture’ view of the sample behavior in your instrument, or for quickly determining if one of your detectors needs cleaning.
Automatic Baseline and Peak Determination
At the user’s request, ASTRA 6 can evaluate the collected data and determine the optimal baseline and peak regions of the data. The algorithms use a set of fit criteria that can be modified to affect how far above baseline a signal must reach before it is considered a peak, how likely two adjacent peaks are to be considered part of the same peak, and so forth.
Access to Data
While ASTRA provides a broad range of analysis options, we recognize that they do not encompass all possible customer needs. We therefore provide a variety of data export and display options to allow you to retrieve data for use outside of ASTRA.
Each procedure produces data, all of which can be accessed for custom graphs or exporting to text files. The data at each step of analysis, as well as any custom plots you create, can be exported as a comma separated file suitable for import into most external plotting packages.
Pause/Resume Data Collection
Reduce collection size during batch operations
ASTRA 6 allows researchers to pause data collection without ending the overall experiment run. This is a useful benefit for batch processing, where the user often needs to switch vials or make other adjustments. Previously this ‘dead time’ would be part of the overall run, forcing the use to process (and store) tens of minutes of uninteresting data.
Remote Monitoring Keep on top of your collections without leaving your chair
Since Wyatt Technology instruments are network connected, you can remotely view their status and recent activity. The Diagnostic Manager utility can be launched from ASTRA, or run as a separate application to monitor and control instruments. Start a collection in your lab, then monitor the progress in your office over the network. Alarms and other state information are reported directly to the Diagnostic Manager.
Waters Empower Support
Type in your settings once, and use it twice
Import your Empower sample sets directly into ASTRA 6. Users can set up their runs in Empower and easily import these data into ASTRA. Importing is a snap. First, create the sample set in Empower and then open it from ASTRA. You just need to know your Empower user ID and password to get things started.
ASTRA will run on English and foreign language versions of the following operating systems:
·Microsoft Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit)
·Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate Editions (32-bit and 64-bit)
·Microsoft Windows XP Professional (32-bit)
Please note that Microsoft Windows Home Editions are not supported for data collection or Security Pack mode, though it can be used for analysis of data files.
System Requirements
·Computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or better.
·Display with 1280-by-768 resolution or higher.
·Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB of graphics memory.
·1 GB of RAM (2 GB of RAM recommended)
·1 GB of disk space.
Connections
Depending on the instruments you will be using, the following connections may be required:
DAWN HELEOS, HELEOS 8+, or miniDAWN TREOS: one USB or Ethernet port.
DAWN EOS or miniDAWN TriStar: one serial port.
Optilab rEX or ViscoStar: one USB or Ethernet port.
WyattQELS: one USB port.
DynaPro Host Unit: contact Wyatt Technology Corporation, as the connections and hardware requirements vary by DynaPro model and features. Typically, this consists of one USB port and one serial port.
Wyatt Technology is the world leader in providing the most advanced macromolecular and nanoparticle characterization tools. These instruments and software may be used to determine the absolute molecular weight and or size of macromolecules and nanoparticles and include: multi-angle light scattering, dynamic light scattering, high through-put dynamic light scattering, field flow fractionation, refractive index, zeta potential and viscometry detection.
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