To mark its 10th anniversary, Drug Discovery & Development magazine invited industry vendors to reflect on the history and made predictions about future of the industry. Featured here are verbatim comments from this company.
Nikon Instruments, Inc.
Headquarters
Melville, N.Y.
Web site
About the company
Nikon Instruments Inc. is a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical and digital imaging products for biomedical and industrial applications. Now in its 91st year, Nikon provides complete optical microscope systems that offer optimal versatility, performance and productivity. Cutting-edge instruments include microscopes, precision measuring equipment, digital imaging products and software. Nikon Instruments is a division of Nikon Inc., the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology
The company’s line of business as it was 10 years ago. Changes in life science/drug research that influenced business.
Similar to other industries, in digital imaging, the need for computer- and software-based technology has grown, particularly analysis software. As such, Nikon has placed a greater focus on developing microscope systems that integrate the functions of equipment components with software applications that capture and analyze the data as a completely integrated solution. This has greatly increased observation capabilities, especially in terms of long-term, live-cell imaging. What’s more, the software allows detailed analysis of quantitative data that can be captured by an imaging system, but not seen with the human eye. These advancements have also aided collaboration among researchers, who can now transfer enhanced digital images relatively quickly.
Scientific challenges in the next 10 years.
As companies continue to seek more efficient ways to identify and test new treatments and compounds, the need for greater automation will become paramount. The trend towards automation will continue, as high throughput and productivity become increasingly important. It will also be critical that digital imaging continues to become more sophisticated, as it will be a driving factor in the advancement of research. To meet changing needs, digital cameras will also need to increase in sensitivity further, and be coupled with application-specific software, providing quantitative data not visible to the human eye. The huge volume of these images will require sophisticated analysis and databasing software to speed the discovery process.
Factor(s) that drove the development of technologies during the last 10 years and greatest area of growths.
Over the last 10 years, advances within digital imaging have revolutionized how research is conducted, increasing data collection capabilities beyond that of the human eye, This has ushered in an era where quantifiable data, which previously would have just been measured by the researcher’s eye, is empirically checked through a series of equipment, from microscope, to digital camera, to analytical software. The results have enabled researchers to better understand exactly what is happening within a cell as diseases and chemical compounds are introduced, driving new classes of medication, and allowing significant advancements in the treatment of illnesses previously thought nearly untreatable.
Bold Prediction: Where will drug research technology be in 10 years?
In the next 10 years, the components needed for digital imaging will become more seamlessly integrated, with more complete automation. As such, systems like the Nikon BioStation, where all the equipment resides within the incubator, will become more common, virtually eliminating the need to purchase multiple products from multiple vendors. This, in turn, will allow for research to be done faster in a more controlled environment, enabling long term experimentation with little opportunity for contamination and helping eliminate human error.
