The work of microbiologists, who use the latest in high-tech equipment, consumes billions of dollars annually. Yet, their use of a common software application—a major component of many gene sequencing procedures—is introducing errors into their results.

A journal article describes the problem effectively: Gene name errors can be introduced inadvertently when using Excel in bioinformatics. The authors explain:

Use of one of the research community’s most valuable and extensively applied tools for manipulation of genomic data can introduce erroneous names. A default date conversion feature in Excel was altering gene names that it considered to look like dates. For example, the tumor suppressor DEC1 [Deleted in Esophageal Cancer 1] was being converted to ‘1-DEC.’

Usually, users appreciate the Microsoft Excel feature which automatically recognizes DEC1 as the first day of December. But in the case of genetic research where countless millions of cells are automatically processed without user intervention, this conversion introduces errors. Worse, as the article reports, some of these problems are irreversible. In fact, the authors of the article found thousands of incorrect gene names in “carefully curated public databases.” The cost of these mistakes to other researches is incalculable.

This is not an opportunity to beat up on Microsoft or the team that produces Excel. Rather, it is a reminder that Excel is intended for financial calculations and projections. The program was never meant to serve as a massive database or automated computation workhorse. Much of the development cost for Excel is in making data input more natural for users, not machines. The problems described in the paper arise not from bugs in Excel, but unexpected uses of the software program.

Like everyone, researchers tend to use systems, procedures and tools that are the most accessible, even if they are not right for the job. Your workplace may also utilize Microsoft Excel for something other than budgeting and financial analysis. These environments are often overrun with countercompetence. Our Service Integration package can help companies assess the tools they have and learn to use them more effectively. Contact us today for more information!

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