One of Lumi’s key features is the complete automation of lab data capture. Unlike most modern ELNs that simply shift you from writing to typing, Lumi eliminates the need for manual data entry altogether. We realise this is a big claim, does it really? We conducted some experiments to find out.
To demonstrate the full potential of Lumi, we conducted the same procedure three times, comparing the time spent on data capture using a paper lab notebook, an ELN (from an existing provider, which we’ll keep anonymous), and Lumi. We’ll share the results one by one, starting with this first part, where we compare only the time savings you can achieve with Lumi during a simple procedure.
TL;DR for those who want a quick answer
| Total experiment duration | Data entry duration | Experiment duration w/o gel solidifying stage | Data capture pauses | |
| Paper lab notebook | 57 mins | 12.22 | 32 | 5 |
| ELN | 56 mins | 12.59 | 31 | 8 |
| Lumi | 32 mins | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Benefits in numbers
- The same procedure (preparing agarose gel for electrophoresis) took 57 minutes with a paper lab notebook, 56 minutes with an ELN, and only 32 minutes with Lumi.
- Lumi not only saved 100% of the 13 minutes typically spent on data capture with other methods but also significantly reduced overall experiment time by eliminating the need for data capture breaks and the burden of stopping the experiment to take notes.
- The total time saved by Lumi is 24-25 minutes compared to other methods, which may not seem like much, but it accounts for approximately 43% of the total experiment duration. This is a significant reduction, especially when considered on a larger scale. Moreover, if we look at the “scientist-active” phase of the experiment, we can see that Lumi gives almost 80% of time back to the scientist, allowing them to complete all actions 4+ times faster compared to other data capture methods.
Dear long read admirers, let’s dive deeper into details.
Experiment overview & protocol
For this part, we’ve decided to go with preparing agarose gel for electrophoresis.
Here’s a protocol description:
Weigh 0.4 g of agarose into a 250 ml flask with 50 ml 0.5% TBE buffer already present and swirl to homogenise. Microwave solution for 1 minute, swirl and microwave for a further minute, ensuring that all agarose has dissolved. Add 1.5 µl of GelRed to flask and homogenise. Pour solution into appropriate tray and add comb to create wells. Allow to solidify for ~25 minutes.
As you may notice, the experiment includes solidification for ~25 minutes, where no active action by the scientist is required. As the mission of Lumi is to get scientists back to science, we’ll assess both the total duration of the experiment and the ‘scientist active’ phase to see how much time in total Lumi gives back to the scientist.
Paper lab notebook
Experiment starts: 13:26
Experiment ends: 14:23
Total experiment duration: 57 minutes
Data entry #1 (prep): 13:26:30 – 13:34:50; total 8:20
Data entry #2: 13:39:11 – 13:40:13; total 1:02
Data entry #3: 13:50:21 – 13:51:18; total 0:57
Data entry #4: 13:52:49 – 13:54:01; total 1:12
Data entry #5: 14:22:10 – 14:23:01; total 0:51
Total data entry duration: 12:22
“Scientist active” phase duration: 32 minutes
ELN
Experiment starts: 14:33
Experiment ends: 15:29
Total experiment duration: 56 minutes
Data entry #1 (prep): 14:33.52 – 14:41:09; total 7:17
Data entry #2: 14:49:01 – 14:49:27; total 0:26
Data entry #3: 14:51:01 – 14:52:29; total 1:28
Data entry #4: 14:53:49 – 14:54:34; total 0:45
Data entry #5: 14:57:30 – 14:58:30; total 1:00
Data entry #6: 14:59:40 – 15:00:23; total 0:43
Data entry #7: 15:01:02 – 15:02:02; total 1:00
Data entry #8: 15:28:42 – 15:29:02, total 0:20
Total data entry duration: 12:59
“Scientist active” phase duration: 31 minutes
Lumi
Experiment starts: 13:23
Experiment ends: 13:55
Total experiment duration: 32 minutes
Total data entry duration: 0:00
“Scientist active” phase duration: 7 minutes
Results
| Total experiment duration | Data entry duration | Experiment duration w/o gel solidifying stage | Data capture pauses | |
| Paper lab notebook | 57 mins | 12.22 | 32 | 5 |
| ELN | 56 mins | 12.59 | 31 | 8 |
| Lumi | 32 mins | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Our scientist completed the experiment in 32 minutes using Lumi, compared to 57 minutes with a paper lab notebook and 56 minutes with an ELN. Lumi saves 100% of the time spent on data entry, and as an added benefit, the experiment time is further reduced by eliminating the need to stop for entries and the associated cognitive disruptions. Additionally, having Lumi in the lab is more convenient than using a paper notebook or any form of ELN, as cameras are set in place, making it one less object to manage.
At its core, our ultimate goal is to get scientists back to science, giving them more time to focus on challenging tasks instead of taking notes. In this experiment, we only assessed the time saved, but moving forward, we will examine data integrity, process optimization, and the age-old question, “Did I do that?”’ — and how Lumi helps avoid repeating the same processes unnecessarily.
Request a demo using the form at the top of the page and eliminate the burden from your lab routine, starting today.