Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company needs to automate labor-intensive processes

A Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company was conducting intensive drug research using a protein crystallography laboratory. The science of crystallography involves performing the many steps of an experiment multiple times, with varied parameters. Tracking and recalling this information is essential to increase efficiency and reproducibility within the science.

Since the introduction of robotics, the volume of experiments the crystallography laboratory was managing had increased dramatically, making an already unproductive system even worse. The company needed management tools that would capture the unique design and processes of the laboratory and automate them to create a competent internal process that would enable its increasing experiments. Additionally, experiment results needed to be electronically recorded in order to reduce the time needed to retrieve past experiments within laboratory notebooks.

Dunn Solutions Group brings its industry experience and technical expertise

Dunn Solutions Group was brought in because of its experience with pharmaceutical systems and technical ability to solve complex problems. After an initial analysis, it was determined that the laboratory required a system that could be created in a series of expandable modules. Each module would be focused on a primary process in the lab, such as recording crystallization experiment results. The laboratory also needed the data to be in electronic format, making it accessible for data-analysis tools to perform the complex analysis of the experiment results. Finally, the system needed to be able to support multiple platforms, as the laboratory computers were of various types.

Dunn created an n-tier Crystallography System, utilizing Java to provide the multiple-platform support. The system was created in multiple iterations, allowing for changes in the laboratory’s process and to get the useful software into the hands of the users sooner. The User Interface captured the unique processes of the laboratory and organized the experiments and results in an intuitive and searchable manner. The system allows users to design and record experiments that could then be analyzed for use in future experiment design.

Company increases efficiency, accuracy, and expands its capacity for work

By partnering with Dunn Solutions Group, the laboratory has increased the productivity, efficiency, and accuracy of its crystallography processes. Each improvement of the processes has increased the volume of discovery information used in the formulation of new drug candidates.  

Additionally, the laboratory has reduced the amount of time and number of errors historically found when setting up experiments. Rework and inconsistent experiments have been avoided by capturing the experiments in one system. Analysis techniques and analysis time have also been improved by providing easy access to past experiment results. Perhaps most important, the modularity of the system will now allow for more laboratory processes to be automated and gives the company the freedom to quickly enhance and build upon the existing software.