Adam (robot)
Encyclopedia
Adam is a robot scientist or laboratory robot
created and developed by the Computational Biology research group at Aberystwyth University. As a prototype
for a "robot scientist", Adam is able to perform independent experiments to test hypotheses and interpret findings without human guidance. While researching yeast-based functional genomics
, Adam became the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators; Adam's research studied baker's yeast
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae
) and is one of two robot scientists working at Aberystwyth University along with "Eve", a robot currently doing research on drug screening.
The most significant scientific paper on robot scientist was published in 2004 in the journal Nature
by Ross King, Kenneth Whelan, Ffion Jones, Philip Reiser, Christopher Bryant, Stephen Muggleton
, Douglas Kell
and Steve Oliver
.
Laboratory robotics
Laboratory robotics is the act of using robots in biology or chemistry labs. For example, pharmaceutical companies employ robots to move biological or chemical samples around to synthesize novel chemical entities or to test pharmaceutical value of existing chemical matter.Laboratory processes are...
created and developed by the Computational Biology research group at Aberystwyth University. As a prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
for a "robot scientist", Adam is able to perform independent experiments to test hypotheses and interpret findings without human guidance. While researching yeast-based functional genomics
Functional genomics
Functional genomics is a field of molecular biology that attempts to make use of the vast wealth of data produced by genomic projects to describe gene functions and interactions...
, Adam became the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators; Adam's research studied baker's yeast
Baker's yeast
Baker's yeast is the common name for the strains of yeast commonly used as a leavening agent in baking bread and bakery products, where it converts the fermentable sugars present in the dough into carbon dioxide and ethanol...
(Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. It is perhaps the most useful yeast, having been instrumental to baking and brewing since ancient times. It is believed that it was originally isolated from the skin of grapes...
) and is one of two robot scientists working at Aberystwyth University along with "Eve", a robot currently doing research on drug screening.
The most significant scientific paper on robot scientist was published in 2004 in the journal Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
by Ross King, Kenneth Whelan, Ffion Jones, Philip Reiser, Christopher Bryant, Stephen Muggleton
Stephen Muggleton
Professor Stephen Muggleton FBCS, FIET, FAAAI, FREng is Head of the Computational Bioinformatics Laboratory at Imperial College London. He received his BSc in Computer Science and PhD in Artificial Intelligence where he was supervised by Donald Michie from the University of Edinburgh...
, Douglas Kell
Douglas Kell
Professor Douglas Bruce Kell is a British biochemist at the University of Manchester and currently Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council .-Education:...
and Steve Oliver
Stephen Oliver (scientist)
Stephen G. Oliver is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge and the director of the Cambridge Systems Biology Centre....
.