Accelerating Laboratory Workflows & Information Sharing

Symyx Technologies, Inc. has announced an out-of-the-box integration of Symyx Notebook and Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS. The integration enables scientists engaged in biological and bioanalytical workflows to electronically pass study information, sample lists, experimental results and reports between the electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) and the LIMS, thereby reducing time-consuming manual transcription and data manipulation that can result in costly laboratory errors and regulatory compliance issues.

"The integration of Symyx Notebook with Watson LIMS demonstrates Symyx's ongoing commitment to powering the electronic laboratory environment with better data correlation, more secure information exchanges and improved end-to-end report generation," said Trevor Heritage, president of Symyx's software business unit. "Additional capabilities to explore and report Watson LIMS data with Symyx Isentris will enhance the value of scientific information and optimize the way scientists communicate and collaborate in the lab."

The Symyx Notebook and Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS integration enhances the value of laboratory information throughout an R&D organization by enabling scientists to access critical experimental information quickly and efficiently. Other benefits include the ability to design studies in Watson LIMS and publish them in Symyx Notebook ; transfer sample information from Symyx Notebook into Watson LIMS ; document lab activities (including sample preparation) in Symyx Notebook ; annotate Watson LIMS worklists in Symyx Notebook ; perform supplementary calculations and analysis in Symyx Notebook and transfer completed Watson LIMS reports back to Symyx Notebook.

A typical integrated workflow might involve setting up Watson drug metabolism/ pharmacokinetic (DMPK) study parameters in Symyx Notebook, transferring the DMPK setup to Watson LIMS, executing the study and analysis in Watson LIMS and reporting the results back through Symyx Notebook.

"Today, pharmaceutical companies are looking for efficiencies in workflow, and by guiding the laboratory users through their study protocols and bioanalytical assays in the LIMS and ELN, we have enabled scientists to maximise not only their workflow but also their knowledge, while saving time and eliminating manual transcription errors. The integration of Watson LIMS with Symyx Notebook provides electronic access to all of the data generated - whether it's structured data stored in the LIMS or unstructured data stored in the ELN," says Dave Champagne, vice president and general manager of informatics, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Thermo Scientific Watson LIMS is a specialised, protocol-driven laboratory information management system (LIMS) specifically designed for drug metabolism/pharmacokinetic studies and bioanalytical testing. Symyx Notebook is a single, multi-disciplinary electronic laboratory notebook for the enterprise that accelerates R&D productivity, improves collaboration, lowers costs and streamlines regulatory compliance. The Symyx Isentris data access, analysis and decision support system enables scientists to leverage corporate, commercial and local database information in an integrated, self-service research environment.