Preface - Advances in mass data analysis of signals and images in medicine, biotechnology and chemistry

The automatic analysis of images and signals in medicine, biotechnology, and chemistry is a challenging and demanding field. Signal-producing procedures by microscopes, spectrometers, and other sensors have found their way into wide fields of medicine, biotechnology, economy, and environmental analysis. With this arises the problem of the automatic mass analysis of signal information. Signal-interpreting systems which generate automatically the desired target statements from the signals are therefore of compelling necessity. The continuation of mass analyses on the basis of classical procedures leads to investments of proportions that are not feasible. New procedures and system architectures are therefore required. The scope of the International Conference on Mass Data Analysis of Images and Signals in Medicine, Biotechnology and Chemistry MDA (www.mda-signals.de) is to bring together researchers, practitioners, and industry people who are dealing with mass analysis of images and signals to present and discuss recent research in these fields.