Streamlining Laboratory Data: Efficient Integration of OpenLab CDS with ZONTAL Space
Managing, searching, and retrieving analytical methods within an organization or collaborative environment often becomes unnecessarily complex and time-consuming. To tackle this prevalent challenge in research efficiency, Agilent and ZONTAL collaborated to develop a groundbreaking solution, showcased at the 2020 Fall Allotrope Connect Conference. In their webinar titled “Seamless Integration of OpenLab CDS with ZONTAL Space: Implementing the Pistoia Method Model,” ZONTAL CEO Wolfgang Colsman, Agilent Product Marketing Manager Ralph Mueller, and Agilent R&D Lab Informatics System Architect Heiko Fessenmayr detailed their innovative processes and provided a live demonstration of their solution.
Building on the Methods Database project introduced at the previous conference, the integration of OpenLab CDS and ZONTAL Space replaces traditional paper-based method descriptions with a digital format. This enables automated interfacing between Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and laboratory instrumentation.
The Pistoia Method Model
A collaboration between the Allotrope Foundation and the Pistoia Alliance, the Pistoia Method Model converts “text-based Analytical Method descriptions into a digital instruction set” readable by any Common Data Service (CDS).
Key components of their framework include:
- A unified digital format and ontology for analytical methods
- A semantically-enabled methods database
- Human-readable method descriptions
- Import and export functionalities
By digitizing method descriptions, this model enhances data quality, reinforces cybersecurity, and improves reproducibility. Additionally, it significantly reduces the time and resources required to transfer methods from one lab to another.
From Theory to Application: Implementing the Method Model
Agilent and ZONTAL recognized that successfully implementing the Pistoia Method Model required addressing several business challenges:
- Text-based method descriptions
- Limited reproducibility due to varying text interpretations
- Disparate terminologies and levels of detail
- Version control issues
During the webinar, their live demonstration showed how the integration of OpenLab CDS and ZONTAL Space addresses these challenges. They demonstrated models on demand by 1) parsing methods from public and private monographs and academic publications, and 2) extending models from instrument methods to comprehensive analytical methods.
How It Works
- Identification of Common Parameters: Experts identified a standard set of HPLC parameters using Allotrope-defined ontologies.
- Methods Database PoC 2019: Agilent and ZONTAL developed the Methods Database PoC 2019, allowing users to upload and index files in Allotrope Data Format (ADF) and enrich data with existing method descriptions.
- Data Request and Analysis: When a user requests data, the CDS retrieves method names from the LIMS and method descriptions from ZONTAL Space. The CDS then performs an analysis based on results and reports and sends this info to the Enterprise Content Manager (ECM) in a vendor agnostic format.
This solution enables users to efficiently search for and identify methods based on descriptions, upload and download methods, run queries, and generate human-readable reports that provide new insights.
Conclusion
The successful integration of OpenLab CDS with ZONTAL Space significantly enhances lab data integrity, boosts process efficiency, and facilitates digital analytical method sharing across laboratories in the life sciences sector.