From Industry 4.0 to Lab 4.0

The document discusses the transition from the third industrial revolution to the fourth, known as Industry 4.0, and its impact on laboratory work. Innovations such as ImageJ, which is over 20 years old, and new software like a smartphone app developed by Bates et al. for quantifying complex images, are highlighted as tools to handle the large amounts of data generated by modern technology. These advancements are converging digital, biological, and physical systems, exemplified by the directed evolution of enzymes, a field that earned Frances Arnold the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018. This convergence, referred to as the "biologicalization of manufacturing," is seen as a promising development for making pharmaceuticals and environmentally friendly chemicals, and for reducing the environmental impact of lab work. The editor expresses excitement for the future contributions that Industry 4.0 will bring to biological understanding and research methods.