Science has progressed quite a lot in the recent decades of human history. With this, the need for trials, applications, and understanding how things work has become more critical than ever before. Labs play a crucial role in setting up an environment that makes it conducive to carrying out experimentation. They also enable ideal conditions that might not be possible to get outside and unique ingredients that can be stored here. Laboratories are generally classified into two broad categories depending on the function that they serve: dry lab and wet lab. Understanding the concept of these labs are very much essential so that we can segregate their importance.
What is a dry lab?
A lab when called dry is a facility primarily used for carrying out computational analyses and mathematical models with the help of computers and other devices. These labs prohibit the use of water or any liquid chemicals. They rely on dry stored materials, computers, and other electronic components. A dry lab is mainly used for analytical purposes, and one would find most of these labs being temperature control, leaving little room for humidity to creep in. These labs have a lot of sensitive computational elements and wires that need a stable environment to function in providing accurate results.
Features of a dry lab:
In a dry lab, all the analyses are done on electrical mediums such as computers and similar devices.
The data collected in dry labs are exposed to a wide range of electrical methods of experimentation rather than chemical ones.
Some of the experiments carried out in a dry lab would be quantum state analyses, ground theory methodology, coding, and text analyses.
This dry lab is also equipped with clean power systems to allow all the sensitive machinery to function.
Most of these labs are equipped with an HVAC system to control the temperature throughout and maintain stable humidity levels.
In dry labs, all simulations and modelling are carried out using computers only.
A dry lab comprises groups of people working in designated areas of their own. It makes sense to have a centralized communication system to ensure a seamless transition of information for this very purpose.
Most of the experiments and data collection inside these labs happen online, with some branching out into offline modes.
What are some of the advantages of working with a lab setup?
First and foremost not all researchers are expert in all fields of work. These people need to give time into putting claculations rather than testing materials. Since there are no chemicals or wet elements used in a dry lab, the regulatory concerns regarding these are quite low.
One does not need to worry about a flammable liquid pouring down the counter or getting reactive. People just work on their computer systems with no significant issues.
If one is conducting simulations in a wet lab, there needs to be a large number of input materials to proceed.
In contrast, a simulation that occurs through a computer needs some data and prior observations to give the desired results.
If the experiment calls for complex analysis, doing it manually might prove to be quite tricky. It will also increase the margin for human errors.
Having machines compute such sensitive figures will yield more realistic results. Wet labs call for experiments that take place in an offline setting, and these are typically carried out routinely. For dry lab, there is the flexibility to conduct experiments both online and offline, which leads to more opportunities. In the case of the latter, these are entirely obtained through computer systems. If one is going for computational and analytical work, dry labs are a good option.
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