laboratory informatics ➤
Scalability and flexibility Informatics is a core component of the R&D process at DuPont Pioneer, states Jochen Scheel, information management director for Trait Informatics. ‘Managing data, enabling workflow process efficiency, processing and analysing data, and decision support are four main areas of informatics contributing to our agriculture research and product development lifecycle. Requirements include scalable production systems – soſtware, data processing – as well as flexible discovery tools and advanced analytics.’ DuPont Pioneer is a global developer
and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability. Te firm’s products are supported by state-of-the-art informatics technologies to enable company-wide information sharing and to increase efficiency. Pioneer’s informatics infrastructure is a mixture of custom solutions developed in-house, commercial tools, and the results of collaborations with leading experts, Scheel explains. ‘Our “must haves” vary for different systems, but some recurring topics for R&D informatics include agility, being able to develop, deploy, and change solutions rapidly and in phases; scalability, an upgrade path to being able to handle large volumes of data, processes, or users; and adaptation and integration, the ability to adapt solutions to specific R&D needs and integrate with other systems.’
Differential requirements for plant breeding and biotech Te vast majority of requirements for R&D informatics are conceptually similar across the agricultural sciences, he says. However, there are some differences between informatics for plant breeding and biotechnology approaches. ‘One difference is the level of centralisation of research. In biotech, much of the research is done in central laboratories and controlled environments, whereas in plant breeding most of the research is done at breeding stations that are dispersed and oſten in remote locations with limited network connectivity. Tis has profound implications for informatics infrastructure. Another difference is the need for understanding gene function which is high in biotech R&D but oſten less required for plant breeding, which makes for significant differences in informatics requirements.’ Technology used in R&D has also had
a dramatic effect on the evolution of informatics. Te huge volumes of data now
12 SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD
generated means that the scalability of systems has become even more important and requires the most advanced concepts and technologies and the competencies to develop, deploy, and support global solutions. Another implication for informatics is the increasing focus on advanced analytics and decision support, Scheel comments. ‘Development and application of quantitative models and predictive classifiers are as important in agriculture R&D to distil information from data and enable decisions as they are in any high-tech industry.’
Managing bottlenecks in the cloud Te agricultural sciences sector represents a major client base for Indiana-based GoInformatics, which offers a truly cloud- based knowledge management solution, GoR&D, for R&D groups in industries spanning animal health/nutrition, medical devices, manufacturing, food and beverage, pharma, biofuels and contract research organisations. Founded in 2010, the firm’s GoR&D cloud platform includes ELN, LIMS, and project and resource management solutions. Tony Stearns, director, national accounts
at GoInformatics, reiterates that problems associated with data-flow bottlenecks can occur because of the field-based nature of R&D within the agricultural industry.
the company is represented by a small laboratory or has multiple sites globally, GoR&D offers a platform that can be accessed enterprise wide, without the need for costly implementation of traditional, on premise LIMS or other soſtware,’ adds Juan Medina, director of business development. ‘Providing a dedicated ELN and LIMS that facilitates the integration of other systems and instruments into the platform, GoR&D also offers comprehensive document management, reporting, security and accountability, while retaining a log of all activities performed, to keep data and information fully traceable. Moving forwards, GoInformatics is
working to build increased analytical capabilities into its platform. ‘We do provide analytics for clients on a case-by-case basis, but our clients in the agricultural other sectors are asking for analytics that will allow them to make increased use of their current and historical data in the cloud, Stearns notes. ‘Our move to build these new capabilities into the cloud platform represents a key strategic step forward for us.’
Seed testing Wisconsin-based BioDiagnostics offers a suite of testing services, including genetic testing, seed treatment and trait analysis, to seed producers, seed retailers, plant breeders and companies that assess the
DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF
QUANTITATIVE MODELS AND PREDICTIVE CLASSIFIERS ARE AS IMPORTANT IN AGRICULTURE R&D AS THEY ARE IN ANY HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY JOCHEN SCHEEL, DUPONT
‘Tat information flow, and ability to seamlessly track and transfer information between R&D groups, project managers, and decision makers, is one of the issues for the agricultural industry that cloud-based solutions can address. Data logged on mobile devices in the field, whether it be metadata, biological samples, or crop or animal physiological, growth, and yield changes, can be captured directly into our cloud platform, and accessed immediately by research teams anywhere in the world. Te mobile nature of our platform also facilitates barcode scanning for easily tracking samples and photographing to catalogue visual reactions or physical results.’ GoInformatics has built its cloud
solution from the ground up. ‘Whether
quality of seed, grain and oil. Operating seven laboratories that use different technologies for disparate testing services, the challenges of outsourced testing in this field are largely centred on rapid submission of test requirements and samples, testing turnaround time, data security, and communication between BioDiagnostics and its clients, explains the firm’s vice president, Denise Tiede. ‘Te results of our testing can be vital
for clients who may be conditioning seed, bagging seed and moving it to where it is to be planted. Tey need a rapid and easy-to- use platform for submitting test requests, and once they have submitted the samples for testing they want to know when they can expect to receive the results, which may
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