In our most recent webinar, we heard insights from Brian R. Berridge, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Chair of the Digital In Vivo Alliance (DIVA), and Natalie Bratcher-Petersen, MS, Manager of DIVA. They highlighted how the Digital In Vivo Alliance (DIVA) is redefining preclinical research. How? Through the integration of digital measures and AI-driven technologies. By revolutionizing how researchers monitor and understand biological and therapeutic processes, DIVA is accelerating the development of life-changing therapies, improving research precision, and advancing patient care.
The Vision Behind the Digital In Vivo Alliance (DIVA)
DIVA envisions a future where the adoption of digital measures becomes the cornerstone of in vivo research. They imagine enabling more accurate, reproducible, and translationally relevant studies. Through innovative tools and collaborative approaches, DIVA is improving the quality and efficiency of research to unlock new possibilities in therapeutic discovery.
What Are Digital Measures?
At its core, a digital measure refers to a characteristic—or a set of characteristics—captured using digital technologies. These measures serve as indicators of:
- Normal biological processes
- Pathogenic processes
- Responses to interventions, including therapeutic treatments
By leveraging continuous, high-resolution monitoring, digital measures enable researchers to track disease progression, therapeutic effects, and biological events with an unparalleled level of precision.
How Digital Measures Are Transforming Research
In drug discovery and preclinical research, digital measures bring transformative benefits:
- Improved Data Richness: Continuous monitoring captures intricate biological changes.
- Temporal Insights: Circadian-cycle monitoring provides a deeper understanding of disease and treatment dynamics.
- Faster Throughput: Automation streamlines data collection and analysis.
- Enhanced Reproducibility: Standardized methodologies minimize variability.
For example, these advancements reduce the need for additional studies. Also, they minimize animal handling and enable earlier detection of health effects. Also, digital measures provide insights into nocturnal animal behavior—an often-overlooked window of activity critical for understanding their biological responses.
The Digital In Vivo Alliance Mission
DIVA’s mission is to collaboratively develop, validate, and promote the adoption of digital measures in preclinical in vivo research. This is achieved through:
- Building a Community: Connecting researchers, data experts, and institutions to foster innovation.
- Driving Discovery and Validation: Developing robust measures tailored to specific research goals.
- Contextual Integration: Applying digital tools effectively to address real-world research challenges.
- Promoting Best Practices: Collaborating with regulatory authorities to establish confidence and standardize methodologies.
DIVA Published Works: Advancing Digital Measures in Preclinical Research
The Digital In Vivo Alliance (DIVA) has contributed to the advancement of preclinical research through several groundbreaking publications. These works highlight the application of digital measures, AI, and ML in improving the sensitivity, reproducibility, and translational relevance of in vivo studies. To learn more, visit their page.
Key Innovations From DIVA
DIVA members are pioneering digital measures to monitor individual animal activity, respiration, seizures, and sleep patterns. Using advanced machine learning algorithms and video data from animals in their home cages, these innovations reduce animal handling, improve welfare, and enhance the translational relevance of research.
Collaboration: The Heart of the Digital In Vivo Alliance
DIVA thrives on a collaborative, pre-competitive model where members share data, tools, and best practices. This collective effort ensures rapid development, validation, and regulatory adoption of digital measures, ultimately benefiting the entire lab animal science community.
Allentown, in partnership with The Jackson Laboratory, is proud to support DIVA’s mission by introducing the Allentown Discovery IVC. This state-of-the-art system represents a new era in preclinical research, combining advanced animal housing with continuous digital monitoring. Powered by Envision™ software, the Discovery IVC leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to provide 24/7 insights into animal behavior and cage conditions. This revolutionary system enhances research quality, improves animal welfare, and delivers actionable data directly from the home cage environment. By offering researchers unprecedented visibility into their study animals’ lives, the Discovery IVC exemplifies DIVA’s vision of integrating cutting-edge technology into in vivo studies.
Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Preclinical Research
The Digital In Vivo Alliance (DIVA) represents a transformative approach to preclinical research, fostering advancements in digital measures, AI, and ML to improve data quality and accelerate therapeutic discoveries. By prioritizing collaboration and innovation, DIVA is contributing to a future where preclinical studies are more efficient, reproducible, and relevant to clinical applications.
As a proud sponsor of DIVA, Allentown is aligned with the mission to advance preclinical research and enhance animal welfare. Innovations like the Discovery IVC, integrated with The Jackson Laboratory’s Envision software, empower researchers with continuous home-cage monitoring and actionable insights, driving progress in the life sciences. Through collective efforts across the scientific community, the integration of digital technologies is shaping a brighter, more innovative future for preclinical research—one that holds the promise of delivering life-changing therapies to patients with greater speed and confidence.