PresQT Workshop 1: OSF Improves Distributed Pharmaceutical Analysis Lab by Margaret Berta
Channel: Natalie Meyers
Date: 2017-05-11

Open Science Framework Improves Distributed Pharmaceutical Analysis Lab (DPAL) Operations for Collaborative Research

A talk given by Margaret Berta, an undergraduate student of Marya Lieberman's,  at University of Notre Dame
 
Substandard pharmaceuticals are a widespread problem in developing countries, and medical regulatory authorities (MRAs) are often unable to maintain post-market quality control. To aid in pharmaceutical analysis, the Distributed Pharmaceutical Analysis Lab (DPAL) was established. 

DPAL is a collaborative program that utilizes the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) capacity at academic institutions in the United States to quantify the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient in samples from Kenya. 

Substandard medications are reported to regulatory agencies, and results are potentially used to take legal action against manufacturers. Therefore, it is imperative that DPAL maintain standard operating procedures, verify the analytical procedures at participant institutions and employ a secure means of sharing data. 

The Open Science Framework (OSF), a free research project management site, was used for transparent data sharing and communication among DPAL participants. Data on OSF is protected from unauthorized editing by establishing a levels of contributor access, utilizing data entry forms and registering the project. DPAL data and results are visible to participant institutions to facilitate effective collaboration. The use of the Open Science Framework has helped organize DPAL into a secure program which is able to grow and increase its analytical power to serve the developing world.