THE DESK-TOP COMPUTER SPREADSHEET AS A SCIENTIFIC DATABASE AND POWERFUL RESEARCH TOOL

In comparison to traditional ''index-card-type'' databases, spreadsheets can hold much the same information, but allow much more manipulation and use of the data contents. Until recently, spreadsheets were limited by computer power, i.e. speed, memory and programs of the budget priced available hardware and software. With the availability of new, more effective spreadsheet software, such as Quattro(R) Pro for Windows(TM), and much faster ''386'' and ''486'' desktop computers at a much reduced cost, the potential of spreadsheets to hold and manipulate scientific databases has developed into a new powerful research tool. We have now compiled a toxicity database in spreadsheet format, which contains acute and sub-chronic toxicity data on approximately 1500 chemicals for aquatic and terrestrial species, together with various physico-chemical and topological data. This paper provides an overview of the spreadsheet-type database structure and capabilities using the COMPUTOX(TM) toxicity database as an example to show the development of qualitative and quantitative relationships of acute toxicities of organic chemicals between various species and/or endpoints, with emphasis on the Microtox(TM) (Photobacterium phosphoreum) toxicity test.