By Trish Meek, and Jonathan Scott, Waters Corporation, Informatics & Software Division
Published in: Pharmaceutical ONLINE
Published on: June 26, 2024
At first glance, the laboratory of today looks remarkably like it did twenty years ago. While there is a higher level of automation particularly of routine and repetitive tasks, and there are certainly improvements to the instrument and software technology, the overall process often feels unchanged. However, a true revolution of today’s laboratory processes is on the horizon, advancing with increasing momentum with the help of groups such as BioPhorum. BioPhorum, is a collaboration across over 130 biopharmaceutical manufacturers and software and instrument vendors, which has published a manifesto envisioning the evolution of the QC (Quality Control) Lab of the Future, enabled by digital technology. Pharma 4.0 and digital transformation initiatives are transforming the manufacturing environment, but the laboratory has fallen behind. BioPhorum highlights the need to digitally enable laboratory processes and improve access and interoperability of scientific data. Laboratories rely on digital technology to support the scientific process, but these tools are often disconnected from one another. To truly harness artificial intelligence (AI) and benefit from tools like generative AI and machine learning, we must rethink how we create, curate, and access data. True digital transformation demands a reimagining of laboratory operations in the digital world.
