THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

OF THE RESEARCH LABORATORY

From Pen and Paper To Voice Recognition
and Artificial Intelligence
Content

Key Takeaways 3
No Progress Without Digitization 3
Benefits Of Laboratory Digitization 4
Modern Day Laboratory Digitization Artificial Intelligence 4
Lab Digitization 1.0: The Electronic Lab Notebook 5

Lab Digitization 2.0: Making Laboratories Paperless

With Voice Technology 5

The Future Of Laboratory Digitization & Artificial Intelligence 6

List Of References 7
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Digitization, the process of turning paper-based information into a digital format,
makes research more efficient and reproducible, saving time and money.

In the U.S. alone, over $28B are lost annually on research that is not reproducible.

Artificial intelligence (AI) goes hand in hand with digitization in labs and comes
with transformative benefits.

Electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) might be useful tools for digitizing data after
working in the lab, but they come with challenges at the bench.

Voice technology is the key to integrating AI and digitization technologies into lab
workflows.

NO PROGRESS WITHOUT DIGITIZATION

From their first day at the bench, scientists are reminded
again and again that accurate documentation is the key
to efficient research. Every step of an experiment must
be recorded. Thorough documentation makes research
more reproducible, intellectual property easier to pro-
tect, and regulatory guidelines easier to meet(1,2). Digital
tools can simplify the documentation process.
Digitization – the process of turning analog information
into a digital format(3) – has taken over many aspects of
our lives. Much of what used to be written, sketched,
or documented by hand, such as our medical records,
bank statements, and even newspapers, has moved
from a paper-based format to a paperless state(1).
In science, it is no different. All over the world, research-
ers are swapping their pens, paper notebooks, and sticky
notes for digitized technologies, such as Electronic Lab
Notebooks (ELNs), Scientific Data Management Systems
(SDMSs), and Laboratory Information Management
Systems (LIMs)(2). And they have good reason. After all,
laboratory digitization has many benefits.

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BENEFITS OF LABORATORY DIGITIZATION
First and foremost, digitizing laboratory data greatly
simplifies record keeping(1,2,4). Researchers can easily
sort, label, store, access, and search digital data. This
streamlines workflows and increases productivity in
the lab(2,4,5). Digital data also facilitates collaboration by
allowing researchers to combine and compare datasets
and share them between labs all over the world(2,4,5). And
when new regulatory standards pop up or IT systems
are updated, digital data allows researchers to easily
update experimental setups(2).
Data security is one of the greatest benefits offered by
digitization. Paper-based documents are always in dan-
ger of being damaged(4). Even something as simple as
a spilled cup of coffee can destroy hours of hard work.
Nowadays, however, digital data can be encrypted,
MODERN DAY LABORATORY DIGITIZATION:
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Scientists working today have access to more tools and
more data than ever before. However, this brings with
it the challenges of analyzing big data sets and combin-
ing data from many different sources. AI and machine
learning tools can help scientists integrate data and
connect equipment. Although AI and machine learning
are still in their infancy, these tools will become increas-
ingly valuable in research laboratories.
Not only will AI enable communication with and between
automated lab instruments, it will also have the ability to
constantly learn from all information saved in a system,
4
securely stored in clouds, and protected by access
control.
Moreover, digital data makes it much easier to create a
full audit trail for intellectual property protection (IP) or
regulatory compliance. Digital data platforms can auto-
matically track data entries or edits with time stamps so
it is very clear who contributed to new ideas and when
IP was generated. This is much more difficult to validate
with paper documents than with digital audit trails.
Overall, lab data digitization improves processes, simpli-
fies workflows, and makes research and development
(R&D) more efficient(2,5). With increasing advances in
machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), digitiza-
tion in the research environment is set to become an
integral part of every laboratory.
such as experimental protocols and data points(6,7).
Language-based AI programs can also extract relevant
research data from publicly-available databases, such
as PubMed(7).
With access to large datasets, scientific texts, images,
and videos, AI may one day be able to compare and
contrast studies, making it easier for scientists to set up
hypotheses and design experimental protocols or fol-
low-up studies(2,6,7). Scientists will be able to exploit the
benefits of AI to simplify their workflows and accelerate
research timelines.
LAB DIGITIZATION 1.0:
THE ELECTRONIC LAB NOTEBOOK
The development of the electronic lab notebook (ELN),
in the early 2000s, swayed many researchers to move
from a paper-based documentation system to a digi-
tized process. For nearly two decades, ELNs have slowly
been pushing analog notebooks onto the sidelines(8, 9).
ELNs allow researchers to search through data
resources, archive old data, document progress,
and share data with colleagues and other research
groups(10,11). Moreover, ELNs can help researchers
organize experimental findings, providing a clearer
overview of research processes(10,11).
However, ELNs come with their own challenges.
Researchers often feel that importing and documenting
their data via ELN can be more time consuming than orig-
inal documentation methods(11). Part of the problem is
caused by complicated interfaces, meaning researchers
can have difficulties navigating ELN software(10,11).
Furthermore, scientists commonly use hazardous
chemicals, fragile biologicals, or sterile cultures in their
experiments. ELNs cannot be used in these environ-
ments. Therefore, researchers are often forced to leave
their experiments and move to their office in order to
document their processes. This greatly disrupts work-
flows and can waste valuable time(11,12).
What if there was a way to circumvent these problems,
keep the benefits of digitization, but also provide a sim-
ple, user-friendly method to document findings in any
lab situation? The answer: voice-powered lab assistants.

LAB DIGITIZATION 2.0:

MAKING LABORATORIES PAPERLESS
WITH VOICE TECHNOLOGY

As early as the 1940s, Alan Turing dreamed of develop-
ing a computer that would have the ability to communi-
cate with people through speech(13,14). In the 1990s, this
idea began to take shape and researchers started look-
ing for situations in which human-computer communi-
cations would be advantageous: for instance, when a
person is busy using their eyes or hands, or when the
availability of a keyboard or screen is limited(14).
about specific symptoms(15,16). In clinical trials, voice
assistants can explain difficult information to patients
and guide them through complex trial structures(15,16).
Although voice technologies could greatly improve
documentation processes and workflows, they are still
largely missing in the laboratory environment(17).

In a laboratory, these situations are very common and

voice assistance at the bench could revolutionize how
scientific organizations and researchers work.

Voice-powered assistants are already in use in health-

care settings, providing support to patients and caregiv-
ers(15). Voice assistants can remind patients to take their
medication, go to appointments, or provide information

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THE FUTURE OF LABORATORY DIGITIZATION &
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
In recent decades, laboratories have undergone
a continuous change, moving from paper-based
documentation systems to paperless systems. Not
only that, laboratories are also experiencing a steady
evolution from electronic systems to data-driven,
integrated technologies(8). In short, laboratories are
becoming smarter.
Smart digital laboratories are characterized by an
increasing variety of software packages and man-
agement systems, which can all be linked to further
technologies, such as mobile phones, clouds and the
so-called Internet of Things (IoT)(8). Furthermore, arti-
ficial intelligence and machine learning facilitate the
work with large datasets and supply researchers with
an accuracy that has never existed before(18).
Laboratories have undergone a revolution in terms of
acquiring and handling research data and information(8).
The modern laboratory aims to incorporate the latest
tools, software, and technologies to enhance the scien-
tific method – which, in principle, remains unchanged
and continues to focus on the development, analysis,
and adjustment of hypotheses through careful and pre-
cise observation, assessment and experimentation(8).
By integrating seamless systems and enabling access to
large data sets, disruptive and risky paper-based pro-
cesses will be eliminated once and for all(20).

With more and more integrative technologies available

today, the key, in future, will lie in identifying those
technologies that are best suited for specific laborato-
ries and understanding how certain aspects of the lab
could be improved(8). By linking all smart technologies
in a digital laboratory, data could be fed directly into
a smart documentation system, which would greatly
lower the risk of human error and streamline work-
flows(8). Researchers will then be able to access their
data from anywhere at any given point in time, as well
as share their data with colleagues all over the world.
Collaboration will drive innovation(19).
LIST OF REFERENCES
1. Shepherd, C. 2015. The Scientific Process: Are You Ready to Digitize? Digital Science
2. Noelken, G. 2017. The Lab Digitalization Loop Picks Up Speed. Data4Lab Consulting Ltd.
3. Bloomberg, J. 2018. Digitization, Digitalization, And Digital Transformation: Confuse Them At Your Peril. Forbes
Media LLC
4. Aptara Corporation. 2018. 10 Advantages of Digitization and Data Capture You Must Know. Aptara Inc.
5. Naujok, N et al. 2016. Research and Development 4.0, The Mutual Benefits of Digitization and R&D. pwc
6. Painell, L. 2018. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Instrument Automation. Laboratory Equipment
7. Gil, Y et al. 2014. Amplify Scientific Discovery with Artificial Intelligence. Science, 346(6206):171-172
8. Boogaard, P et al. 2018. Building a Smart Laboratory 2018. Scientific Computing
9. Machina, HK & Wild, DJ. 2013. Electronic Laboratory Notebooks Progress and Challenges in Implementation.
Journal of Laboratory Automation, 18(4):264-268
10. Dirnagl, U & Przesdzing, I. 2016. A Pocket Guide to Electronic Laboratory Notebooks in the Academic Life
Sciences. F1000 Research, 5(2)
11. Girdwood, D. 2013. Electronic Laboratory Notebooks – help or hindrance to academic research? The
University of Edinburgh, Research Data Blog
12. Robyr, J. 2014. The Challenges of the (Electronic?) Lab Notebook. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
13. Turing, AM & Bayley, D. 1945-46. Report on Speech Secrecy System DELILAH. Cryptologia, 36:295-340,
published in 2012
14. Cohen, PR & Oviatt, SL. 1995. The Role of Voice Input for Human-Machine Communication. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, USA, 92:9921-9927
15. Robinson, R. 2018. Trend: Voice Assistants. PharmaVOICE, 65-70
16. INVOCA. 2018. The Rise of Voice: What the Increase in Conversation, Voice Assistants and AI Means for
Business.
17. LabTwin. 2019. The World’s First Voice-Powered Lab Assistant.
18. Heer, J. 2019. Agency plus automation: Designing artificial intelligence into interactive systems. PNAS,
116(6):1844-1850
19. May, M. 2017. Companies in the cloud: Digitizing lab operations. Science
20. Giles, J. 2012. Going Paperless: The Digital Lab. Nature, 481:430-431

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 This report was originally published in June 2019 and updated in September 2020.

Text: Larissa Warneck

Design and images: Elena Resko