Years ago, we had static images on a paper and to view a structure you had to have so many pictures. With a computer, we create 3-D images of structures that can be rotated and it's a trivial matter to ship a structure electronically. Another advantage is that users, who are often more knowledgeable about biochemistry than computer circuitry, don't have to invest in expensive applications or be technical whizzes. Using a Web-browser, researchers can gain access to information, send data to be analyzed or publish clinical trial results. More and more application software providers are providing service to the biotech industry, freeing scientists to focus on their work.
Speed is an obvious asset of broadband access and essential when it comes to the biotech industry.
Since a file can range in size from 3 megabytes to 100 megs, and often a researcher needs to download thousands of these images, it can be a daunting task to access the necessary data. That's a lot of data to be crunched through. Speed also is crucial when a company submits a new drug to the Food and Drug Administration for approval since the application forms are massive. It's not unusual for non-electronic documentation to reach 50,000 pages. When IDEC recently sent the FDA a new drug petition, it filled 47 CD-ROMs.