Labman--Lab Assistant for Biochemical Calculations

Our objective is to produce Labman, a computer-based laboratory assistant and tutor. Labmanwill perform a wide variety of common laboratory computations, related to preparation of stocksolutions, preparation and properties of buffers, analysis of assays, chemical kinetics, enzyme kinetics,pharmacokinetics, and ligand binding analysis. Labman will operate in two modes, operational andtutorial. In the operational mode, calculations will be specified and the desired answers produced. Inthe tutorial mode, and in association with a companion manual, the physicochemical basis of thecomputations, e.g., conservation laws for molecular groups, and charge, and the equations of chemicalequilibrium will be displayed. Labman will be menu-driven. The user will need to know the commonnames for requested computations, but the mathematical formulas will be provided. A database ofchemical properties will provide molecular weights, pK's, etc., which will become accessible by selectingthe desired chemical name from an alphabetized list. The user may extend the database with specializedcompounds unique to a laboratory.