The Promise of Analytics in Life Sciences
- Life Sciences & Healthcare
Now that I’ve described the structure of the analytics continuum in life sciences and discussed how scientists – data and otherwise – practice analytics within the space, I want to take a step back and talk about the promise of analytics and what those employing them hope to achieve in drug discovery and beyond.
In some respects, analytics are just one piece of the puzzle, but without them, solving that puzzle can take much longer, to the extent that the lives of people suffering from diseases are often hanging in the balance. Let’s explore how analytics promise to power scientific breakthroughs.
Solving the Jigsaw Puzzle of a Disease State
The goal of most life sciences research projects is to discover, describe, define and, ultimately, manipulate the biological processes underlying and responsible for disease states. The scientific process behind this is analogous to building and solving a jigsaw puzzle, but there’s a catch: no one knows what the final picture looks like – not yet, at least.
The strategy for solving a puzzle generally involves finding the corner and edge pieces and creating the outline – effectively bounding the problem space, like we do when starting a research project. Next, colors and visual cues on the remaining pieces allow for clumps to form within the boundaries, a process similar to the discovery of sub-processes within the biological network.
These clumps are then connected with lines of puzzle pieces in a way that is similar to the discovery of biological processes/mechanisms that relate the sub-processes in a network model. Finally, the holes are filled in with pieces that complete the puzzle, which mimics the final step of completing a complex system’s biology network related to the disease state.
Where Analytics Fit into the Jigsaw Puzzle
As shown above, the process of solving a jigsaw puzzle isn’t so different from the process of discovering a scientific breakthrough. In recent years, however, different practices of analytics have emerged to add a new dimension – and advantage – when it comes to producing scientific discoveries.
In the early stages of a new research effort, descriptive analytics approaches enable the discussion of new data relevant to the disease state of interest and effectively allow the problem space to be bounded in a manner analogous to the creation of the puzzle outline. Once this space is bounded, the data within it can be exploited in order to create hypotheses that can be tested using predictive analytics techniques.
These hypotheses effectively allow for the formation of clumps of related data relevant to biological sub-processes analogous to the clumps within the puzzle outline. Connections between the clumps are facilitated through the use of prescriptive analytics techniques that allow for the modeling and simulation of complex biological processes that link the clumps together mechanistically and effectively complete the puzzle for the disease state of interest.
The Promise of Analytics to Power Scientific Breakthroughs
In an ideal setting on an ideal project, analytics promise to power scientific breakthroughs in the ways described above, but drug discovery and other scientific processes aren’t always as easy as following a linear, step-by-step process. Even so, when analytics are baked into the process and data begins to tell a very captivating story, breakthroughs are made faster and more efficiently, often saving lives as a result.
After reading this series, I hope you have a better understanding of how analytics operate within the life sciences space. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at Christopher_Waller@EPAM.com.
Hello. How Can We Help You?
-
BECOME A CUSTOMER
+1-267-759-9000
-
JOIN OUR TEAM
+1-267-759-9000
-
SEND A MEDIA INQUIRY
+1-267-978-7688
-
BECOME AN INVESTOR
+1-267-759-9000 x 59419
-
ASK US ANYTHING
+1-267-759-9000
Our Offices
-
Canada
-
Mexico
-
Guadalajara
MapPeriférico Sur #8110,
Col. El Mante
45609 Tlaquepaque, Jalisco
MexicoP: +52-33-462-400-98
-
-
United States
-
Newtown, PA
Map41 University Drive,
Suite 202,
Newtown, PA 18940
USAP: +1-267-759-9000F: +1-267-759-8989 -
Bellevue, WA
Map110 110th Ave. NE,
Suite 310
Bellevue, WA 98004
USA -
Boston, MA
Map21 Drydock Avenue,
Suite 410 W,
Boston, MA 02210
USA -
Conshohocken, PA
Map101 East 8th Ave,
Suite 201,
Conshohocken, PA 19428
USAP: +1-484-382-1300 -
Los Angeles, CA
Map11601 Wilshire Blvd,
Suite 350,
Los Angeles, CA 90025
USA
-
Mountain View, CA
Map465 Fairchild Dr,
Building B,
Suite 221,
Mountain View, CA 94043
USA -
New York, NY
Map24 West 25th Street,
5th Floor,
New York, NY 10010
USAP: +1-267-759-9000F: +1-267-759-8989 -
Philadelphia, PA
Map30 South 15th Street,
9th Floor,
Philadelphia, PA 19102
USA -
San Francisco, CA
Map222 Kearny Street,
Suite 308,
San Francisco, CA 94108
USA -
Washington D.C.
Map7901 Jones Branch Drive,
Suite 400,
McLean, VA 22102
USA
-
-
Austria
-
Vienna
MapNottendorfer Gasse 11,
1030 Wien
Austria
-
-
Bulgaria
-
Sofia
Map69 Bulgaria Blvd.,
Infinity Tower,
1404 Sofia
BulgariaP: +359-700-20-273
-
-
Czech Republic
-
Prague
MapCity Tower building,
Hvezdova 2b,
Prague 4
Czech RepublicP: +420 22 888 28 23
-
-
Germany
-
Frankfurt am Main
MapFranklinstrasse 56,
60486 Frankfurt am Main,
GermanyP: +49-69-31019090
-
-
Hungary
-
Ireland
-
Dublin
MapAlexandra House,
The Sweepstakes,
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4,
D04 C7H2
IrelandP: +353-(0)-1-631-9280
-
-
Netherlands
-
Poland
-
Gdańsk
MapAl. Grunwaldzka 472E
80-309 Gdańsk
Poland -
Katowice
MapChorzowska Str. 148
40-101 Katowice
PolandP: +48-12-222-02-02 -
Krakow
MapOpolska Str. 114
31-323 Kraków
PolandP: +48-12-222-02-02 -
Warsaw
Mapul. Grzybowska 62
Browary Warszawskie, building J, 9th floor
00-844 Warszawa
Poland -
Wroclaw
MapUl. Piotra Skargi 1,
Budynek A,
50-082 Wrocław
Poland
-
-
Spain
-
Malaga
MapAv. Imperio Argentina, 19-21,
2º Planta,
29004 Málaga,
España
-
-
Sweden
-
Switzerland
-
Glattpark
MapBoulevard Lilienthal 2,
8152 Glattpark (Opfikon)
SwitzerlandP: +41-43-500-21-49
-
-
Ukraine
-
Dnipro
Map17A Volodymyra Monomaha Street,
49000 Dnipro
UkraineP: +380-56-790-5651 -
Kharkiv
Map33G 23 Serpnya Street,
61072 Kharkiv
UkraineP: +380-57-728-06-22 -
Kyiv: Registered office
Map28 Fizkultury Street,
03150 Kyiv
Ukraine
P: +380-44-390-5457F: +380-44-390-0861 -
Kyiv: Visitors office
Map14B Kudryashova Street,
03035 Kyiv
Ukraine
P: +380-44-390-5457 -
Lviv
Map45 O.Stepanivny Street,
79018 Lviv
UkraineP: +380-32-242-4642F: +380-44-390-5458 -
Vinnytsia
Map51 Ovodova Street,
21000 Vinnytsia
UkraineP: +380-432-551-294 +380-432-551-275F: +380-432-551-293
-
-
United Kingdom
-
Australia
-
Sydney
MapLevel 19, 68 Pitt Street,
Sydney, NSW, 2000,
AustraliaP: +61-28-310-82-72
-
-
China
-
Guangzhou
MapUnit B01, 23/F,
Yuexiuxinduhui Building,
No. 236, 6th Zhongshan Road,
Yuexiu District, Guangzhou,
China 510180 -
Shanghai
MapRoom B509, 5th Floor,
48 Weihai Road,
Huangpu District, Shanghai,
China 200000P: +86-21-53080606 -
Shenzhen
Map3/F, Block 5, Vision Shenzhen Business Park,
9th Gaoxin South Road,
Shenzhen Hi-tech Industrial Park,
Nanshan District, Shenzhen,
Guangdong, China 518057
P: +86-755-36899008 -
Suzhou
MapBuilding 12, Creative Industrial Park,
328 Xinghu Street,
Suzhou Industrial Park,
Suzhou, China 215123
-
-
Hong Kong
-
Hong Kong
Map198 Wellington Street,
17F, Central
Hong KongP: +852-5808-6018
-
-
India
-
Bangalore
MapSmartworks,
Global Technology Park,
Block C, Outer Ring Rd,
Adarsh Palm Retreat, Bellandur,
Bengaluru, Karnataka 560103
India -
Hyderabad
Map10, 11 & 12th Floors,
Salarpuria Sattva Knowledge City,
Plot No. 2, Phase - 1,
Survey No. 83/1,
Raidurgam Village,
Serilingampally Mandal,
Hyderabad, Telangana - 500081
IndiaP: +91-40-47979900 -
Pune
MapSmartWork Business Center Pvt Ltd,
Suite 8, Level 1,
West Wing, Nyati Unitree,
Samrat Ashok Road,
Yerwada, Pune - 411006,
Maharashtra
IndiaP: +91-20-4913-6025
-
-
Japan
-
Tokyo
MapFloor 1-10-11
Shibadaimon Centre Building 10th
Shibadaimon Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0012
JapanP: +81-03-6880-9198F: +81-03-6880-9201
-
-
Singapore
-
Singapore
Map5 Shenton Way
UIC Building, #10-01,
Singapore (068808)P: +65-6911-6888
-
-
United Arab Emirates
-
Dubai
MapEPAM Systems FZ-LLC Dubai Branch
2307 Arenco Tower, Dubai Media City
PO Box 501929 Dubai
United Arab EmiratesP: +971-4-568-3569
-
-
Armenia
-
Yerevan
Map15 Khorenatsi Street,
Elite Plaza Business Center,
0010 Yerevan
ArmeniaP: +374-10-60-00-65
-
-
Belarus
-
Brest
Map6A Masherov Avenue,
224030 Brest
BelarusP: +375-162-52-5268F: +375-162-50-9888 -
Gomel
Map80 Rechitsky Avenue,
246012 Gomel
BelarusP: +375-17-389-0100, ext. 54079F: +375-232-70-50-31 -
Grodno
Map87B Gorkogo Street,
230005 Grodno
BelarusP: +375-17-389-0100, ext. 69011 -
Minsk
Map1/1 Academician Kuprevich Street,
Suite 110,
220141 Minsk
BelarusP: +375-17-389-0100F: +375-17-268-6699 -
Mogilev
Map19 Cosmonaut Street,
Suite 510,
212009 Mogilev
BelarusP: +375-17-389-0100, ext. 1001 -
Vitebsk
Map11-a Stroitelei Avenue,
Suite 311,
210032 Vitebsk
BelarusP: +375-17-389-0100, ext. 54433
-
-
Kazakhstan
-
Russia
-
Moscow
Map9th Radialnaya Street,
Building 2,
115404 Moscow
RussiaP: +7-495-730-6362F: +7-495-730-6361 -
Izhevsk
Map150 V. Sivkova Street,
426000 Izhevsk
RussiaP: +7-3412-27-13-37 -
Nizhny Novgorod
Map30 Poltavskaya Street
603089 Nizhny Novgorod
Russia
-
Ryazan
Map16 Gogolya Street,
390035 Ryazan
RussiaP: +7-4912-55-99-10 -
Saint Petersburg
Map22/2 Zastavskaya Street,
MegaPark,
196084 Saint Petersburg
RussiaP: +7-812-611-1094F: +7-812-611-1094 -
Samara
Map21 Michurina Street,
443110 Samara
RussiaP: +7-846-200-0970 -
Saratov
Map37 Tankistov Street,
410019 Saratov
RussiaP: +7-8452-692-981 -
Sergiev Posad
Map7 Akademika Silina Street,
141313 Sergiev Posad
RussiaP: +7-496-547-11-39F: +7-496-547-11-39 -
Togliatti
Map31E Yubileynaya Street,
445037 Togliatti
RussiaP: +7-495-730-6360, ext. 47650 -
Tver
Map8 Kolodkina Street,
170002 Tver
RussiaP: +7-4822-630-070 +7-4822-630-071 +7-4822-630-072F: +7-4822-630-073
-