Inspiring Innovations: Dino Kazanis and James Swartz in a Stimulating Conversation with PharmaShots

Shots:

Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently signed a distribution agreement with Labguru to accelerate research and drive scientific breakthroughs. This collaboration integrates Labguru’s state-of-the-art Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s comprehensive suite of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and lab operations software solutions.

By combining ELN and LIMS tools, the partnership aims to eliminate data silos, empowering lab professionals regardless of their level of experience to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Today at PharmaShots, we are joined by Dino Kazanis and James Swartz from Thermo Fisher Scientific to discuss this exciting distribution agreement.

Saurabh: Could you share how Thermo Fisher sees this distribution agreement with Biodata and the integration of Labguru fitting into your larger plan to enhance connectivity in labs and make research processes more efficient?  

Dino & James: Integrating digital solutions that offer enhanced connectivity to alleviate data silos can help labs gain a competitive edge through engaged and creative workforces, improved productivity and greater transparency. Many labs across disciplines are digitizing with the goal of making it easier to reach meaningful scientific insights faster. A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) highlighted that by 2023, digitally transformed organizations will contribute to more than 50% of global GDP.  

By incorporating the Labguru electronic lab notebook (ELN) as part of our digital offerings, we’ve evolved into a true end-to-end digital solution provider and broadened our market reach. Labguru is the preferred ELN for all our portfolio products and sits organically within our current laboratory equipment ecosystem, complementing the analytical instruments that our customers engage with in their labs. This distribution agreement makes it easier for lab technicians of all experience levels to realize the benefits of a connected lab.  

Saurabh: I'm curious about the practical benefits. How will integrating Labguru improve how data is managed, make workflows smoother, and foster better collaboration among lab teams?

Dino & James: Scientists such as chemists and structural biologists in R&D and bioanalysis need an ELN with a mature application programming interface (API) that can be seamlessly integrated across the suite of instruments in their lab. This integration helps remove human error by streamlining operations and seamlessly transfers data across teams. The practical benefit is that there are multiple tools in a typical lab where both ELNs and laboratory information management system (LIMS) tools are used to eliminate data silos, enhance data flow between systems and avoid duplicate data. Incorporating an ELN allows lab personnel, regardless of experience level or role, to make data driven decisions that propel innovation in the life sciences industry.  

Saurabh: When it comes to customers adopting Labguru, what support strategies is Thermo Fisher putting in place to help them get the most out of the ELN solution?  

Dino & James: Thermo Fisher Scientific has a robust support system for all customers who are looking to leverage next-generation technologies to streamline operations, enhance data management and optimize workflows. Our technical solutions team, as well as our highly trained support desk, works side-by-side with customers to find solutions to the questions that come their way.

We are committed to helping customers at any stage in their digital transformation journey and offer connected support for any equipment provided by the breadth of our portfolio, helping create a seamless experience for our customers.  

Saurabh: Ensuring everything works smoothly is crucial. How does Thermo Fisher ensure that Labguru integrates seamlessly with your existing lab instruments and services?  

Dino & James: When looking for an ELN provider, ensuring the provider has robust API and support services were critical criterion. We take pride in ensuring that our integrations help solve problems for customers, which means that collaborating with best-in-class providers to develop the highest quality products is essential. This collaboration should make things smoother and faster for customers and allow to them focus on new scientific discoveries in laboratories.  

Saurabh: Given Thermo Fisher's leadership in scientific services, how do you plan to leverage that position to effectively introduce and promote the benefits of Labguru to both current and future customers?  

Dino & James: We have already begun introducing Labguru to existing customers that have shown interest in a Full Feature ELN and will continue to promote the service to our current customer base as well as to any new prospects. We’re promoting this with our commercial sales team within the digital science team and as an organization.  

Saurabh: Security and reliability are critical. Could you elaborate on the measures Thermo Fisher has in place to ensure that Labguru meets stringent data security standards and regulatory requirements?  

Dino & James: We looked for vendors who had ELNs that take data security and privacy very seriously to meet the needs of labs around the world, regardless of their regulatory requirements. In a report from Forrester Consulting in 2021, 63% of respondents shared that their organization is restricted in their ability to collaborate across its different labs due to strict accreditation rules and regulations. As laboratories look to digitize, ensuring that this digitization does not interfere with current and future rules and regulations is vital when looking to successfully digitize the lab.  

Our corporate infrastructure and security team looked at the ELN’s functionality as well as its data security and privacy standards to mirror Thermo Fisher’s high standards. We have and will continuously audit all our global distribution partners to make sure they adhere to our strict data security and regulatory requirements, as well as General Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines.

Image Source: Canva

About the Author:

Dino Kazanis

Konstandinos (Dino) Kazanis is a senior product manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dino began working with Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2021 and has previous experience in industries such as telecommunications, real estate, software, and more.  

James C. Swartz

James C. Swartz is a commercial lead at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He began working with Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2018 and has extensive experience in biomedical, technological, and telecommunications industries.  