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The University of Cambridge

IDBS and the University of Cambridge Join Forces for Cheminformatics Tools; Captures and Leverages IP with IDBS E-WorkBook for Chemistry

The challenge

  • The Department of Chemistry needed a data management solution to support its broad research areas and ongoing national and international academic research programs
  • The inability to electronically capture and search results in research papers and lab notebooks was leading to the risk of experiments being re-run, knowledge not being utilized and vital information being difficult to find
  • Getting a clear view of research and intellectual property (IP) across departments and geographic locations was very difficult, making research governance particularly challenging
  • The complexity of searching experimental data and results and requirement to meet the diverse needs of the physical, inorganic, synthetic, biological, nano, polymer and theoretical chemistry departments was causing significant support issues

The solution

  • The Department of Chemistry now has professional electronic management of chemical information where data can be searched by its chemical context
  • E-WorkBook for Chemistry supports laboratory best working practice and standard operating procedures (SOPs) by enabling the integration of advanced chemical informatics methods, many of which have been developed in the university laboratory, to extract chemical information
  • The solution provides a platform to store paper based research data gathered over 30 years within the department, and make it searchable and accessible by today’s scientists alongside their own work
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The results

  • E-WorkBook for Chemistry ensures that the university’s IP is securely protected and fully supports more effective research governance
  • Scientists are now able to easily capture, analyze and investigate complex data, with rapid access and integration of results, which makes research more effective and faster
  • Access to research data is unlocked, based on appropriate security levels, enabling knowledge to be more effectively shared and re-used
  • Publications can be produced more quickly based on automated reports and full experimental context, which enhances research excellence across the university