The ThreaT To
books
E
Nicki Muir asks if
emerging information
sharing technologies
are threatening to make
ELNs?
tory Not
a
Electronic Laboratory
Notebooks (ELNs) obsolete
abor
ic L
P
harmaceutical companies are
constantly looking to improve
N
efficiencies in their laboratory workflow
activities, including planning,
experimental design, execution, data
ctro
collection, processing and reporting.
The development of a pharmaceutical
LE
product involves several inter-related
E
steps with multiple decisions requiring
iterative improvements. Large amounts
of information, such as the properties
of a drug, interactions of materials, unit
operations, as well as equipment, have
to be accumulated and used for decision
making. It is extremely important that
these records are managed properly to
ensure authenticity and trustworthiness, as
well as being evidence for the ownership
of intellectual property.
The paper laboratory notebook has
always been principally used for this
purpose, as it is agreeably the simplest
method for recording scientific data.
However, paper notebooks do not meet
the needs of scientists in the electronic-
data and intellectual property (IP) an established mainstream laboratory over the past several years. Initially, the
driven biopharmaceutical industries, informatics platform that has successfully ELN was just developed as a replacement
presenting numerous challenges and accommodated the concerns of for paper lab notebooks, whereas now
limitations to the drug discovery and moving from paper to electronic, with the ELN must encompass functionality
development process – the most critical the majority of companies having for workflow optimisation, document
being the inability to locate relevant implemented ELN technology into their management, data sharing and IP
data and inconsistent security. To resolve workflow systems. Moreover, these secure protection. A key aspect to a successful
these problems, technology was forced systems offer the capability to automate ELN is building a collaboration platform
to improve significantly, leading to the application workflows in development, for scientists to share data, results and
development of innovative software quality, research and engineering domains, insights.’
programs, known as electronic laboratory contributing to better data access, John McCarthy, VP of product
notebooks (ELNs), which allowed enhanced data quality and capture, as management and strategy for Symyx,
scientists to create electronic records that well as greater IP protection and increased agrees: ‘The most important aspect
efficiently capture and store data and laboratory effectiveness. Debra Toburen, of an ELN is that it should index the
supporting information. senior product manager of informatics at information generated in the lab so that
Now, more than 10 years since its Agilent Technologies, comments: ‘The it can be searched, repurposed and used
22
development, the ELN has emerged as ELN landscape has changed dramatically to make decisions.’ Tom Mann, ELN
LIG10 pp22-25 ELNs.indd 22 18/11/09 17:37:54
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