Accelrys, Inc. , a leading provider of scientific innovation lifecycle management software, today announced the Accelrys Experiment Knowledge Base (EKB), an industry-first laboratory informatics system that raises the bar for experimentation management and enables organizations to transform mass amounts of scientific data into knowledge essential for faster, more efficient new product innovation. Designed specifically for research and development, EKB offers scientists for the first time the ability to search and mine experimentation data from almost any source. The system also provides integration and interoperability with existing lab equipment and applications as well as features for improving experimentation management and collaboration.
With a flexible, modular and integrated approach to data search and experimentation management, EKB overcomes the failures of poorly architected legacy R&D informatics systems that have not kept pace with today's fast-changing business environments and the large amounts of complex data generated. EKB offers scientists the industry’s first single system for efficient searching, analysis and mining of data from virtually any source based on capability to Extract, Transform and Load (ETL). And the unique “data mart” approach allows end users to consider new ways to query data every day, without the necessity to re-architect the system or its database.
“The market for ‘traditional’ laboratory informatics systems such as LIMS (laboratory information management systems) and ELNs (electronic laboratory notebooks) is evolving, particularly in R&D,” said Michael Elliott, chief executive officer of market research firm Atrium Research. “Companies are demanding more intelligent and flexible systems to manage real-world workflows and ever-more large and complex data.”
EKB is applicable to many industries and areas of science and has been successfully deployed for catalyst design, petrochemical processing, biofermentation, formulations design and more. EKB leverages four key capabilities in a modular architecture to increase innovation velocity and consistency by reducing or eliminating repeat experiments, enhancing laboratory efficiency, improving experimentation consistency and extracting knowledge from data. Capabilities include:
- Planning and design of experiments and campaigns
- Step-by-step execution of experiments
- Capture of experiments and sample data
- Search and analysis of experiments and sample data by properties/descriptors
By leveraging the Accelrys Enterprise Platform, EKB also complements document-centric systems such as ELNs and downstream systems focused on scale-up, manufacturing and compliance to support an end-to-end, integrated scientific innovation lifecycle management approach. Integration with ELNs also streamlines project documentation while improving global collaboration and intellectual property protection.
“With a specific focus on R&D, EKB complements our downstream laboratory informatics offerings, including the newly released Accelrys LIMS, and exemplifies Accelrys’ continued commitment to providing first-in-class products that streamline the scientific innovation lifecycle across the lab-to-commercialization value chain and accelerate innovative new product development,” said Leif Pedersen, senior vice president of marketing, product management and corporate development, Accelrys.