DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN THE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. COMPUTER PROCESSING OF DATA DURING EXPERIMENTS FACILITATES BIOLOGICAL...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Laboratory Automation
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Digital techniques are recently introduced in biological laboratories.
• Current computer equipment is expensive compared to conventional electronic equipment.
• Biological applications often require modification of commercial equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the growing accessibility and power of digital techniques in biological research.
• To forecast the future integration of computers as standard laboratory tools.

Main Methods:

• The abstract discusses the projected advancements in computer technology, focusing on solid-state devices and integrated circuits.
• It anticipates the development of modular computer components and laboratory interfaces.

Main Results:

• Computer equipment costs are decreasing, making digital techniques more accessible.
• Improvements in fabrication, size, and compactness will lead to smaller and more powerful computers.
• Increased computational speed and reduced costs are expected within a decade.
• Modular computer units will allow researchers to assemble and customize systems for specific applications.

Conclusions:

• Digital computers are poised to become ubiquitous laboratory tools, similar to oscilloscopes or spectrophotometers.
• Modular design will enable greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness for biological research applications.
• The trend indicates a future where advanced computing is an integral part of everyday biological experimentation.