September 15, 2022
by Sarah Srokosz, Marketing Communications Specialist, ACD/Labs
Data is to scientists as a saucepan is to chefs: essential. But with many analytical techniques, instruments, and software applications, extracting real insights from data can be challenging.
The Reality of Analytical Data Processing Today
The reality is that many scientists use multiple applications to process their analytical data. To complicate matters further, software licenses are often tied to a specific computer, meaning scientists have to make sure they are at the correct computer to view and process their data, perhaps waiting in line to use it. In the worst-case scenario, the only processing software available is the instrument software itself, which means new samples cannot run while previously collected data is interrogated and reviewed. This adds undue stress and inconvenience.
Beyond the coordination it takes between teams to juggle multiple applications and licenses, it can be very time-consuming to properly learn how to use each application and to toggle between each to find the data you need. Inadequate knowledge of app capabilities or scattered data can lead to unfortunate consequences—like overlooking important pieces of data that might lead to scientists drawing inaccurate conclusions.
It’s also a headache to manage—for IT and users. Each application requires its own maintenance and takes significant processing power and capacious storage to run. This means lag time and slow program speeds for users. In times of shrinking budgets, managing multiple applications is a big capital expenditure for labs and IT to deal with.
Ultimately, not having one location to process analytical data interferes with the ability to timely access quality insights.
Transforming the Data Processing Experience
Consolidating where you process analytical data means time- and energy-savings for your teams. It also gives scientists more control over data assembly. Specifically, the ability to review different types of analytical data, conveniently in the same application, means scientists can toggle between the NMR spectrum and LC/MS data to extract the different pieces of information from each technique. And with the ability to access your application via an internet browser, your workflows and end-user experience improve because data processing becomes much more accessible.
Many different users benefit from this transformed experience. For instance, for schools or universities that have a bring-your-own-laptop policy, offering hands-on experience with analytical processing is challenging. Now, students can access the application from their own device, opening up more opportunities for analytical data processing in the classroom.
Scientist involved in open-access laboratories are another group that benefits from this new era of analytical data processing. The simplified license and overall user management ease operation of these facilities, while flexible access to the application itself reduces strain on instrument booking schedules.
The Benefits of a One-Stop Processing Shop
Streamlining data processing workflows means not only reducing the number of applications, but also eliminating the tie to a certain computer in a particular place for the work to happen. That’s where Spectrus JS comes in.
Spectrus JS is the industry’s first browser-based, multi-technique, and vendor-neutral analytical data processing software. In the first update coming this fall, the software will be able to process NMR and LC, LC/MS, LC/UV/MS, GC, GC/MS, MS (xC/UV/MS) data in a single software environment, only needing a network connection to do so. This update will also introduce ACD/Labs’ best-in-class NMR prediction and provide significant improvements to reporting capabilities.
In addition to specific features, here are some top benefits of Spectrus JS:
- Supports Remote Working: The pandemic sparked a new way of working for those in life sciences, and it’s evident that these workflows are here to stay. Spectrus JS is an extension of this shift. Scientists are no longer tied to a lab or the four walls of an office to get insights from their analytical data.
- Scales with Organization Needs: With Spectrus JS, nothing needs installing on user computers. IT teams deploy the software from a central server and therefore individuals with varying expertise can access from anywhere. Software licenses are connected to user’s login credentials, making adding and managing users easier than ever.
- Compatible with Any Operating System (OS) or Device: For end users, Spectrus JS runs on any operating system or device type. Just another way to make it easier to process, assemble, and store analytical data with full chemical context where and when it’s convenient for you.
Learn more about how Spectrus JS can work in your institution.
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