Novartis lab aims to break down the barriers

Citation

(2010), "Novartis lab aims to break down the barriers", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 42 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2010.03742bab.007

Novartis lab aims to break down the barriers

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 42, Issue 2

Pharmaceutical company Novartis has unveiled its Lab of the Future (LOTF) concept, which aims to create laboratories with cutting-edge technology to support communication, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in research.

“Drug discovery evolves rapidly as new technologies and insights into biology modify the scientific approaches”, explained Dr Daniel Vasella, Novartis Chairman and Chief Executive. “The Lab of the Future, with its modular design and flexibility, allows us rapidly to adopt new research tools and foster interdisciplinary work to solve research challenges”.

The LOTF aims to dissolve the typical divisions between the scientific disciplines involved in drug discovery. For example, biologists, clinicians, toxicologists and chemists are historically separated by organisational structure and often in separate areas. Now the core-team members will work side-by-side. Furthermore, integrated technology and new communication tools will allow scientists to work together both in real and virtual space.

“Traditionally, scientists have been separated by their respective areas of expertise”, said Mark Fishman, president of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. “However, the research approach at Novartis, driven by patient needs and understanding the basis of disease, requires that these boundaries disappear to create small, tightly-knit multidisciplinary teams. These teams promote idea exchange and drive innovation”.