Skip To Content

ACD/Labs Blog

Andrew Anderson and Graham McGibbon sat down with Jack Rudd, senior editor at Technology Networks, to discuss the issue of data heterogeneity as well as some of the other challenges associated with modern labs and businesses. While there seems to be a general appreciation of the problems related to Big Data, it has become clear that the complications caused by data heterogeneity—or the different types and/or compositions of data—are often overlooked.

The R&D industry has been evolving for decades to make the process of discovering new compounds and formulations in the laboratory easier and more effective. Today, innovative trends, focused predominantly around data and technology, encourage changes that aim to improve efficiencies across the industry. A couple of current trends we’re observing include open innovation (or externalization), as well as big data.

The 'Amazon Effect' describes how online shopping giant, Amazon, sorts data and matches similar products to one another—providing customers with a customized list of products they may be interested in. In laboratory informatics, scientists organize and analyze data in a very similar way. By using software like ACD/Spectrus Platform, scientists—from different laboratories using a variety of instruments—can combine and process their large data sets in a single interface that delivers quality results.