Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
base, but is still distinct from the specifi c area tools/databases that
companies acquire from different software vendors. The corporate
database is the storage area for all the 'fi nal' pre-clinical results that
companies want to retain indefi nitely. The corporate database holds
data from chemistry, biology, pharmacology and other relevant drug
discovery disciplines and is also often a classic data warehouse [1] in the
sense that no transactions are performed there - data is fed from the
other databases, stored and retrieved. The system in this chapter is partly
an example of such an infrastructure, but with a somewhat unique
perspective.
The system is not only a data warehouse, however. Final/analysed data
from other (specialist) tools
are
uploaded and stored there. Additionally,
it is the main access point for data retrieval and decision support, but the
system does a lot more. It forms the control centre and heart of our data
transactions and workfl ow support through the drug discovery process at
Lundbeck [2]. Lab equipment is connected, enabling controlled fi le
transfer to equipment, progress monitoring and loading of output data
directly back into the database. All Lundbeck Research logistics are also
handled there, covering reagents, compounds, plates and animals. The
system is updated when assets enter the various sites and when they get
registered, and it stores location information and handles required
re-ordering by scientists.
The system also supports our discovery project managers with 'project
grids' containing compounds and assay results. These project grids or
Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) tables are linked to the research
projects and are where the project groups setup their screening cascade,
or tests in which they are interested. Subsequently, the project groups can
register both compounds and assay results to generate a combined project
results overview. The grids also enable simple data mining and ordering
of new tests when the teams have decided what compounds should be
moved forward. To read more about corporate pharmaceutical research
systems see references [3, 4].
How is the system unique? Is this any different from those of other
companies? We believe it is. It is one coherent system built on top of one
database. It covers a very broad area with data concerning genes, animals
and compounds in one end of the process all the way to the late-stage
non-GLP/GMP [5] exploratory toxicology studies. With a few exceptions,
which are defi ned later, it is built entirely with open source software. It is
therefore relevant to talk about, and fi ts well with the theme of this topic,
as a case in which a pharmaceutical company has built its main corporate
database and transaction system on open source tools.
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