Apps, Touch Tablets Bringing Mobility to Chemical Research Industry

OCEANSIDE, CA, April 25, 2014 (Press-News.org) The formula for success in the chemical research industry is beginning to take shape outside of the traditional laboratory setting.

Touch-enabled software and tablets are transforming chemical researchers' workflows, bringing time-savings and mobile capability to professionals who are used to desktop computers and the pen-and-paper mentality.

For example, the updated Mobile Reagents scientific app from Eidogen-Sertanty now offers a Windows* 8 version for touch devices built on Intel architecture, and allows mobile access to more than 17 million chemical product variations offered by nearly 60 suppliers.

From a workflow perspective, one of the key benefits of using tablets and apps in chemical research is the ability to use touch drawing, according to Dr. Steven Muskal, chief executive officer of Eidogen-Sertanty.

"Searching for chemicals starts by drawing a chemical structure, and it's much easier to draw a chemical structure on a tablet than it is with clicks of a computer mouse on a desktop computer," said Muskal. "Drawing with touch is more intuitive and one of the most powerful features of utilizing apps and Windows 8 tablets in chemical research."

The Power of Pictures

Researchers are finding that built-in tablet cameras are also proving to be valuable assets in their daily tasks. The Mobile Reagents app gives researchers the power to use a tablet's camera to take pictures of chemical structures and convert them into structurally searchable molecules using Optical Structure Recognition Application (OSRA). Pictures of barcodes and QR codes also can be put to good use.

"Using a tablet and Mobile Reagents, researchers can snap and print QR codes from the app and affix to inventory so they can quickly scan and reorder those chemicals when needed," said Muskal. "That saves multiple steps compared to drawing new structures or doing keyword searches over and over again."

Mobile Research

Traditionally, on-site laboratories have been the hub of activity for chemical research. Chemists using desktop computers facilitate daily activities for everything from searches to ordering. However, mobile devices and apps like Mobile Reagents are changing the way these tasks are completed, and giving freedom to the research process.

"Sometimes that moment of inspiration occurs outside of the lab. Researchers have told us it happens on the train ride home or after hours while working remotely," said Muskal. "Mobile Reagents provides the same platform on a tablet as it does on a desktop, which equals familiarity when researchers need to find a recipe and get a head start on the next day's work when they get to the lab. That's a big time savings and improves the chemical research workflow tremendously."

Mobile Reagents is available in the Windows Store and to date has been downloaded more than 15,000 times by researchers worldwide, according to Muskal.

Eidogen-Sertanty is dedicated to improving health, medicine, and general well-being. For more than 10 years, Eidogen-Sertanty has been helping in the discovery of new, safer medicines through innovative software technology, knowledgebases, and collaborative insight. Eidogen-Sertanty's software and solutions bridge the knowledge gap between biology and chemistry. Eidogen-Sertanty's nutraceutical products embody years of research and are directed towards proactive health & wellness. http://www.eidogen-sertanty.com.