airhacks.fm podcast with adam bien

Building Software for Chemistry Labs with Java

Dec 10, 2025
Stanislav Bashkyrtsev, a software developer and founder specializing in scientific software for chemistry and drug discovery, shares his insights on the challenges of automating lab processes. He discusses Pixel, a powerful tool for analyzing mass spectrometer data, and the intricacies of parsing large instrument files. Topics include the drug discovery workflow, molecular library enumeration, and the significance of 2D vs 3D visualizations. Stanislav also introduces innovative solutions like Molbrett for chemical drawing and Crystalline for protein crystallography documentation.
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INSIGHT

Synthesis Is Labwork Plus Automation

  • Synthesis combines ordered reagents, solvents and conditions then moves to analysis.
  • Robotics (liquid handlers) speed high-throughput work but labs still need manual steps.
ADVICE

Automate Repetition, Not Exploration

  • Automate repetitive liquid handling to avoid tedious manual pipetting and errors.
  • Expect robotics calibration, programming overhead and breakage in flexible research labs.
ADVICE

Invest In Domain Charts Over Forms

  • Focus UI effort on interactive charts and domain-specific expressions, not forms.
  • Provide drag-and-drop and expression languages for chemists' workflows.
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