FluoRender Script: A Case Study of Lingua Franca in Translational Computer Science

FluoRender is a software program used for the visualization and analysis of 3-D biological image data, particularly from fluorescence microscopy. We examine FluoRender’s script system to demonstrate its translation process. In this article, we borrow the concept of lingua franca from linguistics. We designed a connecting language between the source and target domains for translation, thereby augmenting understanding and acceptance. In FluoRender’s script system, the lingua franca consists of the mapping between the control of the media player and the computational and interactive subroutines of an analysis workflow. Workflows supporting automatic, semiautomatic, and manual operations were made available and easily accessible to end users. The formalization of the lingua franca as a technique for translational computer science provides guidance for future development.