Your go-to blog for modern lab management

Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) is a solution to help businesses improve workplace safety and reduce the number of recordable incidents. The TRIR is important because it gives insight into the overall safety culture of a workplace. A high rate indicates serious safety issues needing attention, whereas a low rate shows effective safety measures.Tracking this metric over time helps companies identify safety trends, allowing targeted interventions to reduce incidents and improve safety performance. By leveraging our strategies and best practices, companies can make their work environments safer, thereby preventing accidents and injuries.

How to calculate TRIR accurately

Calculating the Total Recordable Incident Rate accurately is vital for a reliable assessment of workplace safety. The formula is:

TRIR  =    Number of Recordable Incidents × 200,000   Total Hours Worked  

To accurately calculate this rate, gather data on the total number of incidents recorded within a specific period, such as a year. This includes any work-related injuries, illnesses, or fatalities that require medical treatment beyond first aid. You also need to know the total number of hours worked by all employees during the same period.

By plugging these numbers into the formula, you can determine the incident rate for your workplace. This metric provides a standardized way to compare safety performance across different industries and companies.

What is a good TRIR range?

After calculating the TRIR for your workplace, it's important to interpret the results to understand whether they indicate effective safety performance. TRIR ranges can vary depending on the industry and specific workplace conditions. Generally, a lower TRIR indicates better safety performance, suggesting that safety measures are effectively preventing incidents.

A good TRIR score typically varies depending on the specific type of laboratory and its operations. However, as a general guideline:

• A TRIR score below 1.0 is often considered excellent in laboratory settings where the work environment is controlled and safety measures are strictly enforced.
• A TRIR between 1.0 and 3.0 may be considered acceptable, depending on the nature of the laboratory work and industry benchmarks.
• Any TRIR above 3.0 would typically indicate a higher incidence rate that may require closer examination of safety protocols and practices.

These ranges provide a framework for assessing safety performance and guiding efforts to maintain or improve workplace safety in laboratory environments.

To determine if your calculated TRIR is good or bad, consider industry benchmarks and historical data. Comparing your TRIR to similar companies or industry standards can provide context. Additionally, track trends over time within your own organization to identify improvements or areas needing attention. Regularly reviewing and analyzing TRIR data helps in identifying patterns and implementing targeted safety measures to continuously improve workplace safety.

Ultimately, striving for a TRIR that is consistently below industry averages demonstrates a strong commitment to employee safety and effective safety management practices.

Enhancing workplace safety

At SciSure (formerly SciShield) we offer a range of solutions to help enhance workplace safety. From safety training programs to advanced monitoring tools , we provide the resources and support needed to create a safe work environment.

By implementing our solutions, companies can proactively address safety concerns, reduce incidents, and improve overall safety performance. Our team of experts will work closely with you to create a personalized safety plan that fits your needs and goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you enhance workplace safety through effective safety programs and monitoring tools.

Enhance safety programs with TRIR data

Using safety data effectively can significantly enhance your safety programs. By analyzing trends, companies can pinpoint high-risk areas and allocate resources to mitigate these risks. Accurate TRIR calculation helps businesses identify trends, evaluate safety programs, and implement necessary changes to improve workplace safety.

The goal is to reduce the number of accidents and create a safer work environment for everyone.

TRIR and its impact on work environments

Understanding the impact of this safety metric on various work environments is crucial. Different industries and work environments have unique safety challenges. For example, construction sites may have higher incident rates because of the nature of the work, while office settings may have lower rates. Tailoring safety programs to specific work environments ensures that safety measures are relevant and effective.

Why TRIR matters in workplace safety?

TRIR is more than just a number; it's a reflection of your workplace safety culture. A low rate indicates a safe work environment and can boost employee morale, productivity, and retention. Conversely, a high rate can lead to increased injury rates, higher insurance costs, and potential regulatory penalties.

Key features of our lab safety, inventory, & reporting software

Our solutions offer comprehensive tools to accurately calculate and manage your safety metrics. Key features include:

• Automated Calculations : Reduce human error and ensure accurate reporting.
• Real-Time Data Monitoring : Keep track of incidents and safety metrics in real-time.
• Personalized Reporting : Tailor reports to meet your specific needs and compliance requirements.
• Early Detection of Safety Issues : Identify and address safety concerns before they escalate.
• Improved Compliance : Stay compliant with safety regulations and standards.
• Enhanced Decision-Making : Make informed decisions based on accurate safety data.

Safety compliance – turn reactive into proactive

Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) is a solution to help businesses improve workplace safety and reduce the number of recordable incidents. We assist in accurately calculating rates to provide insights into safety culture and facilitate targeted safety interventions.

Partnering with SciSure ensures your organization has access to comprehensive solutions in lab safety, chemical management, incident reporting, and compliance tracking, tailored to your organization's specific needs. Whether you need to focus on particular departments or company-wide initiatives, our tools can adapt to your requirements. Our goal is to optimize safety performance, prevent accidents, and ensure regulatory adherence through proactive safety measures.

The biobanking industry has become a critical pillar for the advancement of the life sciences and clinical research. Biobanks are safe harbors for massive collections of biological specimens, from cancer patient biopsies to environmental samples, making them a staple of ongoing research projects in academia and industry.

Initially, the job of biobanks was simple: Collect and manage samples and dispense them reliably to customers. However, “Biobanking 3.0” has shifted this focus from quantity to sample and data quality assurance, generating value for donors, funders, and scientists. Therefore, current and new biobanks are required to raise the bar on their capabilities to create the highest quality biospecimens and provide their customers with the best experience possible.

This creates some new sample and data management challenges for many biobanking organizations. In the following blog, we look at these challenges and how they can be solved through digitalization.

Challenge #1: Managing Quantity 

In a survey of U.S.-based biobanks, nearly 50% of organizations had over 5,000 samples, and 23% had over 100,000. Tracking the location of these large sample collections is a major issue, and having reliable processes for labeling or barcoding these samples and documenting their storage position is critical to keeping organized operations. 

In addition, numerous biobanks house a variety of biospecimens encompassing diverse cell types and subtypes. Handling a primary cell type can result in subsequent storage of passages, immortalized cells, or engineered cell variants, with DNA, RNA, or protein extracted at various points in this process. Each specimen type entails distinct documentation, names, identifiers, or properties that must be consistently linked to the biospecimen. The variability across sample types poses a challenge in identifying the specific properties required for each sample. In the case of human samples, it is imperative to store informed consent records and intended use information alongside the specimens to ensure adherence to ethical and regulatory standards. 

Finally, it’s been suggested that 10% and 50% of tumor biospecimens in biobanks will never be used. Continued collection of biospecimens in already large biobanks can lead to additional capital costs for storage and complications managing large and unruly collections. Efficiently tracking frequently and infrequently used samples is essential for making decisions about new cold storage purchases, effective use of space, and lab sustainability.

Challenge #2: Maintaining Sample Integrity and Quality

The ongoing activities of large biobanks involve a continuous influx of new samples being deposited and fulfilling sample requests. The quality and integrity of numerous biospecimens are highly dependent on the storage temperature. Consequently, the repeated occurrence of freeze-thaw cycles, stemming from disorganized sample management where time is consumed in locating and verifying samples, can compromise their integrity. When a biobank possesses limited aliquots of a specific sample, freeze-thaw cycles may become an unavoidable aspect of the sample lifecycle. Effectively managing location data for all biological samples, overseeing freezer temperatures, and meticulously tracking the freeze-thaw cycles of samples are crucial tasks – albeit significant challenges – essential for ensuring sample quality.

With an increased focus on reproducibility in the life sciences, there is also an increased need to report standardized details for biospecimens used in published papers. These details can help ensure that high-quality samples are being used in published studies, thus helping to ensure reproducibility for any subsequent studies. While no agreed-upon relevant dataset exists, guidelines like the Biospecimen Reporting for Improved Study Quality (BRISQ) have been published to improve reproducibility in papers using biospecimens from various sources, including biobanks.

Challenge #3: Ensuring Data Security

Numerous regulatory mandates and guidelines intricately shape the operational landscape of biobanking. Specifically, 21 CFR Part 11 outlines precise regulations governing electronic data management to uphold data security. Additionally, prominent regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), ISO 20387:2018, and others set forth standards for maintaining data security and quality. 

Effectively navigating the entire lifecycle of this data presents logistical challenges. Adhering to the aforementioned regulatory standards requires implementing cybersecurity measures to safeguard data against unauthorised access, ensuring comprehensive traceability for auditability, and meticulously documenting any alterations made to the data.

Challenge #4: Disaster Preparedness

Disaster preparedness poses a formidable challenge for biobanks due to the inherent vulnerability of the biospecimens they manage. The day-to-day operations of biobanks involve meticulous storage and preservation of a diverse range of biospecimens, each with distinct temperature and environmental requirements. Natural, human, or technological disasters can disrupt the controlled storage conditions, compromising the integrity and viability of these valuable samples. 

Ensuring the continuity of operations in the face of unforeseen events demands comprehensive disaster preparedness planning based on an adequate risk assessment. This includes developing resilient infrastructure, implementing redundant systems, and formulating robust contingency plans to mitigate risks and minimize potential losses. Additionally, coordinating efforts to safely relocate and secure samples during emergencies requires precise logistical execution, further adding to the complexity of disaster preparedness in biobanking.

Challenge #5: Planning for the Future

There has been a noticeable surge in prioritizing strategic planning to navigate the growth and expansiveness of both public and private biobanking sectors. Future planning can enable biobanks to make astute and well-informed decisions regarding their future initiatives, including targeted investments in capital equipment like new -20 or -80 freezers or liquid nitrogen storage, precisely timed to meet actual requirements. The persistent challenge for biobanks remains the adept monitoring of ongoing operations and the projection of future demands. Consequently, data collection and analysis to make an informed and strategic purchasing decision is time-intensive, particularly when done manually.

Solving Biobanking Challenges with Better Information Storage Platforms

Many of the challenges above can be solved with user-friendly software platforms with sample and data management capabilities, alleviating the need for manual sample tracking or data collection and analysis. 

However, choosing the right software platform for your biobanking operations can be a challenging task in and of itself. To help you tackle the challenges discussed above (and others) and zero in on which software is best for your organization, read our white paper, “How to Choose the Best Digital Platform for Your Biobank.”

In 2023, a leading US nuclear and clean energy laboratory, the Idaho National Laboratory, suffered a major breach of employee data, exposing the dates of birth, email addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, addresses, and employment information of some 6,000 staff. This was no isolated incident - 2023 was the biggest year yet for cybersecurity breaches, and the trend is set to continue to rise. In an era where data breaches and cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, lab data security has never been more critical.

Laboratories, often dealing with sensitive research, proprietary information, and personal data, face unique challenges in safeguarding their digital assets. As the landscape of cyber threats continues to evolve, it is imperative for laboratories to implement sound data management practices and stay abreast of emerging trends in data security to mitigate risks and protect their invaluable data.

As a digital lab solutions provider, we understand these challenges and are committed to helping laboratories of all kinds fortify their data security. Read on to explore the best practices and emerging trends in lab data security.

In this blog, we will cover:

• What is lab data security?
• Common threats to lab data security
• Enhancing lab data security with digital tools
• Best practices for lab data security
• Keeping your data under lock and key 

What is lab data security?

Lab data security encompasses the strategies, policies and technologies employed to protect sensitive information generated and stored in laboratory environments. This includes patient records, research data, intellectual property and other sensitive information. Ensuring robust lab data security is essential to maintain the integrity of research findings, protect patient privacy, and comply with regulatory requirements.

A comprehensive approach to lab data security involves implementing advanced encryption techniques, establishing stringent access controls, and conducting regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, training staff on best practices for data handling and fostering a culture of security awareness are crucial components of a successful security strategy.

Robust data security measures are important beyond protecting intellectual property; they also encompass maintaining the integrity of scientific research, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and preserving the trust of stakeholders. By safeguarding sensitive information, laboratories can prevent data breaches, avoid costly legal consequences, and uphold their reputation within the scientific community.

Common threats to lab data security

Laboratories face a multitude of threats to data security, ranging from cyberattacks and insider threats to accidental data loss. Understanding these common threats is the first step in developing effective strategies to mitigate them and protect valuable information.

Ransomware attacks

Ransomware attacks encrypt critical data and demand a ransom for its release. These attacks can cripple laboratory operations and lead to substantial financial losses. The downtime caused by such attacks can affect ongoing research, delay important findings, and create significant disruption in service delivery to patients and stakeholders.

Data breaches

Attackers often aim to steal sensitive information, such as patient records and research data. Stolen healthcare records can be used for identity theft, insurance fraud, or sold on the dark web. The consequences of data breaches include damage to an organization's reputation and loss of trust from patients and partners, not to mention potential legal liabilities.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing emails trick individuals into divulging sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data, compromising lab security. These emails often appear legitimate, mimicking trusted sources, and can lead to unauthorized access to systems, resulting in data breaches or financial theft.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

APTs are sophisticated, targeted attacks by well-funded groups aiming to gain persistent access to networks for espionage or data theft. These groups use advanced techniques to remain undetected while they gather sensitive information, which can be used for competitive advantage, intellectual property theft or sabotage.

IoT vulnerabilities

Many medical devices and laboratory equipment leverage the Internet of Things (IoT). If IoT devices are not secured properly, they can be exploited to gain unauthorized access or disrupt operations. Vulnerabilities in IoT devices can lead to manipulation of data, interruption of critical services and potential risks to patient safety. Proper security measures such as regular updates, strong authentication and network segmentation are essential to mitigate these risks.

Enhancing lab data security with digital tools

As laboratories increasingly transition to digital solutions, numerous tools are emerging to enhance data security and operational efficiency. Let's take a look at some of the emerging technologies that can help to make labs more data-secure.

• Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN): ELNs provide a secure platform for recording and managing research data. By digitizing lab notebooks they facilitate data integrity, secure storage, and easy access control. ELNs offer encryption and audit trails, ensuring that any alterations to the data are recorded, thereby maintaining the authenticity and reliability of research records.
• Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS): LIMS enhances data security through centralized data management and access control. These systems streamline lab operations by automating data entry, sample tracking, and reporting. With role-based access controls, LIMS only restrict data access to authorized personnel, reducing the risk of unauthorized data manipulation or breaches. Additionally, LIMS can integrate with other digital tools, providing a cohesive security framework across the laboratory's IT infrastructure.
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML): AI and ML technologies are revolutionizing lab operations by enabling predictive analytics, automating repetitive tasks, and enhancing data analysis. These tools can identify patterns and anomalies in large data sets, providing insights that enhance research outcomes and operational efficiency.

Data security with SciSure

SciSure (formerly eLabNext) offers comprehensive data security features tailored to the needs of modern laboratories. Our Digital Lab Platform combines ELN and LIMS capabilities into a single platform for R&D. This integration facilitates secure data storage, retrieval, and management, enhancing overall lab efficiency and security. Notably, SciSure for Research is ISO certified for ISO/IEC 27001, the globally accepted standard for information security management.

Key security features include:

• Secure data storage and retrieval: Cloud-based solutions eliminate single points of failure, ensuring data is securely stored and easily retrievable.
• Encryption: All data transfers and storage are protected with encryption, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access.‍
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Implement fine-grained access control policies to ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific data, enhancing the overall security posture.‍
• Efficient data integration: Consolidate diverse datasets for comprehensive analysis, providing a holistic view of lab activities.‍
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Bolster login security by requiring multiple forms of verification, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.‍
• Effective data governance: Establish clear policies for data management and compliance that align with regulatory standards.‍
• Audit trails and monitoring: Maintain detailed audit trails of all data access and modifications, enabling thorough monitoring and compliance with data integrity requirements.‍
• Reliable data backups: Automated backups with encryption safeguard against data loss, ensuring that research data remains protected.‍
• Disaster recovery plans: Implement robust disaster recovery plans to ensure quick data restoration and minimal downtime in the event of a catastrophe.

By leveraging digital solutions, laboratories can enhance their data security measures, streamline operations, and maintain the integrity and reliability of their research records.

Best Practices for Lab Data Security

Implementing robust security measures is essential to safeguard against various threats and vulnerabilities. The following best practices can help you to enhance your lab's data protection and mitigate potential risks.

Implement Strong Access Controls

• Role-based access: Grant access based on user roles to minimize unnecessary data exposure. Ensure that employees only have access to the data necessary for their specific roles, reducing the risk of accidental or malicious data breaches.
• Multi-factor authentication: Add an extra layer of security to verify user identities by requiring multiple forms of verification, such as a password and a mobile authentication code. This helps protect against unauthorized access even if one form of verification is compromised.

Regular Data Backups

• Frequency of backups: Perform regular backups, such as daily or weekly, to ensure data recovery in case of loss due to hardware failure, cyberattacks, or other unforeseen events. Regular backups help you restore your system quickly and minimize downtime.
• Secure off-site storage: Use cloud-based solutions to store backups securely off-site, providing a safeguard against physical damage to on-site storage facilities. Off-site backups ensure that your data is protected from events such as natural disasters or fires.

Regular security audits

• Routine security checks: Conduct regular audits to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities within your systems and networks. Regular checks help in maintaining a robust security posture by addressing potential weaknesses before they can be exploited.
• Third-party assessments: Hire experts to provide an unbiased evaluation of your security measures. Third-party assessments bring a fresh perspective and can uncover issues that internal teams might overlook due to familiarity with the systems.

Employee training and awareness programs

• Regular training sessions: Educate employees on recognizing phishing attempts and other security threats. Continuous training ensures that employees stay updated on the latest tactics used by cybercriminals and know how to respond appropriately.
• Awareness programs: Promote a culture of security awareness within the lab by organizing workshops, seminars, and regular communication on best security practices. Awareness programs help reinforce the importance of security in daily operations and encourage proactive behavior.

Incident response plan

• Immediate steps after a breach: Have a clear plan in place to respond swiftly to data breaches. This plan should outline the steps to take immediately after a breach is detected, such as isolating affected systems, notifying stakeholders, and initiating recovery processes.
• Dedicated response team: Establish a team responsible for managing and mitigating security incidents. This team should be trained to handle various types of security incidents, coordinate with other departments, and communicate effectively to minimize the impact of breaches on the organization.

Keeping your data under lock and key

Ensuring robust lab data security is not just a necessity but a critical component of modern laboratory operations. With increasing threats and the high stakes of data breaches, adopting best practices and leveraging emerging technologies is imperative. This involves implementing advanced encryption methods, conducting regular security audits, and providing ongoing training for lab personnel.

At SciSure, we are dedicated to helping you achieve unparalleled data security. By focusing on the latest advancements in data protection and continuously updating our security protocols, we ensure that your lab's sensitive information remains safeguarded against potential threats. Our commitment to data security allows you to concentrate on your core research and operations, confident that your data is protected.

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Effective communication within a biopharma R&D organization can significantly enhance your and your team's efficiency. In the spirit of fostering greater efficiency, this article will explore the curation and transmission of information in an R&D environment. Clear and well-documented scientific and technical results prevent misunderstandings within R&D teams and save time, boosting overall productivity. Preparing for critical moments by appropriately formatting and curating information will increase the likelihood of successful interactions with internal and external stakeholders, such as prospective investors and regulatory authorities.

Below, we discuss the typical roles and responsibilities in R&D environments, the standard formats used for communication, and how they can be improved.

Roles and Responsibilities in R&D

As shown in Figure 1 below, R&D involves various participants with different roles, responsibilities, and levels of understanding of technical details.

Due to these differences, it is crucial to format and choose the information you wish to communicate in a way that meets your audience's needs. For instance, the chairperson of the board of directors generally does not need to see a notebook entry describing an important experiment or raw, unprocessed data, but they do need to understand the significance of experiments in relation to the company's goals and funding needs. Conversely, the department (or team) head might need to find a notebook entry to prepare a slide that accurately describes experimental results and their significance. These examples illustrate the need for different types of documents to present and preserve the information the company and all personnel generate.

Common Communication Formats for Biopharma R&D

Whether you’re sharing recent findings or aligning stakeholders on a project’s milestones, conveying experimental rationale and results is essential. Here are a few common ways that information flows through biopharma organizations and some of the complications that can occur when it does. 

Notebook entries

While lab notebooks are intended to store detailed experimental methods that enable reproducibility, managers or investors may not have the time or technical skill required to interpret experimental rationale, locate data, and analyze data independently. This is why the information in a notebook must be extracted and formatted in such a way that best suits the target intended audience. 

However, this process carries risks. If the presented data are not linked to the written record of their acquisition, it may be challenging for future members of the team who prepare an Investigational New Drug (IND) application months or years later to validate that past experiments support assertions made in the IND filings. Technical reports provide a systematic way of recording key results, presented in the same style as a peer-reviewed scientific paper. They also link these results to the notebook entries that initially reported them.

Team meetings and slide decks

Slide deck presentations at weekly check-ins are another primary method of communication at all levels of biopharma companies and are a familiar nexus in biopharma R&D life.  

However, not all biopharma personnel are trained in presentation skills or best practices, and this format presents a significant opportunity for miscommunication. There are also numerous inefficiencies in how regular meetings are organized. Many resources, including books and podcasts, offer practical advice on managing these events. Managing such meetings involves understanding their purpose and having a clear agenda beforehand. Setting expectations early regarding how data should be presented in slide decks at routine meetings can simplify and accelerate the preparation for more significant presentations.

Milestone meetings

Regular meetings with colleagues or managers require preparation, but some less frequent meetings can have much higher stakes. Milestone meetings may involve sharing information with internal or external parties and can be “make or break” moments in a company's journey. 

The importance and amount of preparation for these events often correlate with the amount of money involved in the decisions resulting from them. Board meetings will preoccupy the C-suite for weeks in advance, and functional heads will need to create slides that are visually pleasing and convey information efficiently. 

This preparation is time-consuming, especially if graphs or figures must be redone to meet basic scientific rigor, aesthetics, and clarity criteria. In addition to informing company leadership, slides intended for prospective investors must be prepared and presented or deposited in virtual data rooms for their inspection.

Conclusion

With several common communication formats and many different communication styles in the biopharma R&D environment, aligning and standardizing communication across such diverse and busy organizations can be challenging.

The solution to these problems is to templatize various communication formats with rules and requirements for processed data (e.g., graphs, charts, etc.), presentations, notebook entries, and more. Taking the time to be controlled and systematic in scientific communication is an integral part of working in a biopharma R&D environment. It can significantly increase efficiency and mitigate the risk of a costly miscommunication. Such efforts will yield results later, both in terms of successful fundraising and regulatory filings. 

Digital lab platforms, such as SciSure for Research (formerly eLabNext), can help streamline the standardization process for notebook entries and other communication formats. Contact us to learn more about how SciSure can help.

Delagrave Life Sciences, LLC

Biobanks are pivotal in advancing medical research by providing a conduit for biological samples used in medicine and biomedical research. These biological repositories have become indispensable resources for large-scale studies, precision medicine, and cutting-edge diagnostics. However, handling and storing this sensitive material, plus any related patient information, comes with a substantial responsibility. 

Effective sample management is critical to preserving the integrity and usability of stored biobank samples over time. Without proper handling and management, the potential of these biological materials could be compromised. That's why it is imperative to implement and adhere to best practices in biobank sample management.

In this blog, we will highlight:

• What is a biobank?
• Challenges in biobank sample management
• Leveraging digital solutions for biobank sample management
• Best practices for biobank sample management

Read on to explore the strategies and digital lab solutions that can enhance the management of biobank samples. From advanced tracking systems and storage solutions to innovative data management practices, we explore the tools that ensure these precious biological materials remain viable and valuable for years to come. 

What is a biobank?

A biobank is a specialized type of biorepository that collects, processes, stores and distributes biological samples for use in research. These samples, often derived from humans, can include tissues, blood, DNA, RNA, proteins and other biomolecules. Biobanks are crucial for advancing scientific knowledge and developing new treatments as they provide a vast resource of biological materials for researchers studying various aspects of health and disease.

There are several types of biobanks, each serving different research needs:

• Population-based biobanks: Collect samples from large population groups to study disease prevalence and genetic heterogeneity.
• Disease-oriented biobanks: Focus on specific diseases, storing samples from affected individuals for targeted research to inform the development of new diagnostics and therapies.
• Tissue banks: Store tissue samples, often collected during surgeries or biopsies. These are critical for pathology and cancer research.
• Environmental biobanks: Collect and store environmental samples, such as soil and water, for ecological and health studies.

Effective biobank sample management is essential for maintaining the integrity and long-term viability of stored samples. Proper management ensures that these samples remain viable and can provide reliable and repeatable data for future research. This involves meticulous sample tracking, handling and controlled storage, and good data management practices to handle and secure the vast amount of associated data.

Challenges in biobank sample management

Managing biobank samples effectively is essential to ensure the longevity and integrity of biological specimens used in research. However, this is no easy task and can bring a variety of challenges:

Sample degradation

Biological samples are highly sensitive and can degrade quickly if not stored under optimal conditions. Factors such as temperature fluctuations, improper handling, and exposure to contaminants can compromise sample integrity. Ensuring that samples remain viable over long periods requires stringent control of storage environments and adherence to standardized protocols.

Accurate tracking

Maintaining accurate records of sample locations and conditions is crucial for the efficient operation of a biobank. Traditional methods, such as manual logging and paper records, are prone to errors and can lead to sample misplacement or loss. Implementing digital tracking systems, such as barcoding or RFID technology, can help biobanks manage their inventories more effectively and ensure that samples can be quickly and accurately retrieved when needed.

Compliance with regulatory standards

Biobanks must adhere to various regulatory standards and ethical guidelines to protect donor privacy and ensure the responsible use of samples. Compliance involves implementing robust data protection measures, obtaining informed consent from donors, and ensuring transparency regarding how samples are used.

Data management

A typical sample stored in a biobank will be linked to metadata such as donor information, collection details, storage conditions and usage history. Efficient data management systems are essential to organize, store and retrieve this information effectively. Advanced digital solutions, such as electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) and laboratory information management systems (LIMS), can help biobanks manage data more efficiently.

Leveraging digital solutions for biobank sample management

Digital lab solutions are transforming how biobanks manage their samples - from inventory tracking to data documentation. Let's explore how digital lab solutions be harnessed to optimize biobank operations:

Inventory management systems

Integrated inventory management systems provide a centralized platform for tracking and managing biological samples, significantly reducing the risk of errors and improving operational efficiency. These systems utilize technologies such as barcoding and RFID to ensure precise tracking and easy retrieval of samples. SciSure's LIMS (formerly eLabNext) powerful inventory management system offers a range of features to address common challenges in biobank management:

• Centralized database: SciSure provides a centralized platform where all sample data can be stored and accessed. This ensures that information is readily available and eliminates the risks associated with manual record-keeping.
• Barcode and RFID Tracking: The system supports barcode and RFID technology, enabling precise tracking of samples. This reduces the chances of sample misplacement and enhances retrieval efficiency.

Real-time monitoring

Real-time monitoring is crucial for maintaining optimal storage conditions for biological samples. This enables lab staff to continuously track environmental parameters and provide instant alerts if conditions deviate from predefined settings, thereby preventing sample degradation. Digital lab solutions like SciSure facilitate real-time monitoring of storage environments:

• Continuous monitoring: Through add-ons and integrations, such as the Elemental Machines add-on, the system continuously monitors storage conditions and logs data in real time, providing a comprehensive overview of environmental parameters.
• Alerts and notifications: Through add-ons and integrations, automated alerts are triggered if conditions deviate from set parameters, allowing for immediate corrective action to prevent sample degradation.

Electronic lab notebooks (ELNs)

Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs) enhance the documentation and management of biobank samples by providing a digital platform for recording and accessing detailed sample-related data. ELNs help standardize protocols and improve data integrity and compliance with regulatory standards. SciSure's ELN offers robust electronic lab notebook capabilities, enhancing the documentation and management of biobank samples:

• Comprehensive documentation: SciSure allows for detailed and accessible documentation of all sample-related data, including collection details, storage conditions and usage history. This ensures that all information is recorded accurately and can be easily retrieved when needed.
• Standardized protocols: The system supports the implementation of standardized protocols for sample collection and handling, promoting consistency and reducing the risk of errors.

Enhancing compliance and quality control

Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and maintaining high-quality samples are critical for biobanks. Digital lab solutions help achieve these goals by providing detailed audit trails, facilitating regular audits, and enabling stringent quality control measures. Digital solutions from SciSure can help ensure these requirements are met:

• Regulatory compliance: SciSure is designed to support compliance with various regulatory standards. The platform provides detailed audit trails, ensuring transparency and accountability in sample management.
• Quality control: The systems enable regular audits and quality checks, ensuring that samples are stored correctly and that any deviations are promptly addressed. This helps maintain high-quality standards for all samples.

By adopting these technologies, biobanks can ensure the integrity and usability of their samples, supporting cutting-edge research and contributing to scientific advancements.

Best practices for biobank sample management

We have underscored the importance of effective biobank sample management in maintaining the integrity and usability of biological samples and associated data. Implementing these best practices can help biobanks achieve high standards in sample collection, storage, tracking and compliance:

1. Standardize your collection procedures

Using standardized protocols for sample collection is crucial to ensure consistency and reliability. Standardized procedures help minimize variations and errors during sample collection, which can affect the quality and integrity of the samples.

• Protocol development: Develop and adhere to detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sample collection. These should cover every aspect, from patient consent to sample labeling and initial processing.
• Training and education: Regularly train staff on the latest collection techniques and protocols to ensure consistency and adherence to best practices.

2. Maintain optimal storage conditions

Maintaining appropriate storage conditions is vital for preserving the integrity of biological samples over time. Various factors can significantly impact sample quality:

• Temperature control: Continuously monitor and record storage temperatures to ensure compliance with set standards.
• Humidity and light: Store samples in environments with controlled humidity and minimal light exposure to prevent degradation.
• Redundancy systems: Implement backup systems, such as generators and secondary storage units, to protect samples in case of equipment failure.

3. Standardize and centralize all documentation

Thorough and accurate documentation is essential for tracking samples and maintaining their integrity. Detailed records help ensure traceability and accountability throughout the sample lifecycle.

• Comprehensive records: Maintain detailed records for each sample, including collection details, storage conditions and any subsequent handling or usage.
• Digital documentation: Use digital systems like our Digital Lab Platform for electronic documentation, which enhances accessibility and reduces the risk of data loss.

4. Conduct regular audits

Conducting regular audits is a critical component of quality control in biobank management. Audits help identify and address potential issues before they affect sample integrity.

• Internal audits: Schedule regular internal audits to review compliance with protocols and standards.
• Corrective actions: Develop and implement corrective action plans based on audit findings to continuously improve sample management practices.

5. Step up your lab's data management systems

Managing the large volumes of data associated with biobank samples can be challenging. Efficient data management systems help organize and retrieve data effectively while improving data security.

• Centralized database: Use a centralized Digital Lab Platform to store and manage all sample-related data.
• Data integration: Integrate data management systems with other lab technologies to streamline operations and enhance data accessibility.
• Data backup: Regularly back up data to prevent loss and ensure continuity in case of system failures.

By implementing these best practices, biobanks can enhance their operations, maintain high standards of quality and ensure the long-term viability and reliability of their samples.

Time to bank in on digital lab solutions

Effective biobank sample management is essential for supporting cutting-edge research and ensuring the longevity and integrity of valuable biological samples. By adopting best practices and leveraging advanced digital solutions, biobanks can enhance their operations, maintain high standards of quality, and contribute significantly to scientific advancements. 

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Generative AI (GenAI) and ChatGPT are here to stay. There are an incredible number of accessible AI assistants, including CLAUDE.AI, Microsoft CoPilot, LLAMA, and others,  for immediate implementation into professional workflows. These technologies have changed the way many people do their jobs, improving efficiency.  

Many in biotech and pharma are slowly but surely jumping on the bandwagon. Just look at Moderna’s recent announcement of integrating ChatGPT across all of its business functions.

For the broader life science industry, learning how to use these new tools and leveraging them in our daily lab operations to optimize data access and insight will be very rewarding in the coming years. 

If you’re entirely new to GenAI, fear not; I’ve created a short list of 10 immediate use cases and action items for leveraging ChatGPT for your lab’s work.

Before getting into it, remember that ChatGPT is not the end-all, be-all (for now, anyway!). It is simply a companion tool for your work. Treat it as such, and always verify and validate your work.

#1. Literature Review and Research Assistance

ChatGPT can help researchers quickly sift through vast amounts of literature to:

• Summarise key findings from relevant research papers.
• Extract specific information such as methodologies, results, or conclusions from scientific articles.
• Identify gaps in existing literature and suggest areas for further exploration.
• Provide insights into the latest trends and developments in biotech research.

Action Items

• Provide ChatGPT with specific keywords or topics to search for relevant literature.
• Request summaries or analyses of selected papers to extract essential information.
• Ask ChatGPT to compare and contrast multiple studies on a particular topic to identify common themes or discrepancies.

#2. Experimental Design Optimisation

Researchers can use ChatGPT to:

• Brainstorm ideas for experimental designs based on research objectives.
• Optimize experimental parameters such as sample size, concentration, or incubation time.
• Explore different methodologies or approaches to achieve desired outcomes.
• Evaluate the feasibility and potential limitations of proposed experimental designs.

Action Items

• Describe the research goals and variables to ChatGPT and request suggestions for experimental designs.
• Seek feedback on proposed methodologies and ask for alternative approaches or optimizations.
• Use ChatGPT to simulate experimental conditions and predict potential outcomes before conducting actual experiments.

#3. Data Analysis and Interpretation

ChatGPT can assist in data analysis by:

• Performing statistical analyses on experimental data.
• Interpreting results and identifying trends or patterns.
• Generating visualizations to represent data effectively.
• Providing insights into the significance and implications of research findings.

Action Items

• Input raw data or summary statistics into ChatGPT and request specific analyses (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, regression).
• Ask ChatGPT to explain complex statistical concepts or methodologies used in data analysis.
• Collaborate with ChatGPT to explore alternative interpretations of experimental results and validate conclusions.

#4. Protocol Development and Troubleshooting

Researchers can seek assistance from ChatGPT to:

• Develop detailed protocols for experimental procedures.
• Troubleshoot technical issues encountered during experiments.
• Guide on optimizing experimental workflows and minimizing errors.
• Suggest alternative methods or approaches to overcome experimental challenges.

Action Items

• Describe the experimental procedure or issue to ChatGPT and request step-by-step protocols or troubleshooting tips.
• Collaborate with ChatGPT to refine existing protocols and streamline experimental workflows.
• Seek advice from ChatGPT on equipment selection, reagent preparation, and quality control measures.

#5. Hypothesis Generation and Validation

ChatGPT can aid researchers in:

• Generating hypotheses based on existing data or literature by feeding it into the system.
• Evaluating the feasibility and testability of proposed hypotheses based on already existing experiments
• Designing experiments to validate hypotheses and generate empirical evidence.
• Iterating on hypotheses based on experimental results and feedback from ChatGPT.

Action Items

• Discuss research objectives and available data with ChatGPT to generate novel hypotheses.
• Request assistance in designing experiments to test specific hypotheses and predict expected outcomes.
• Analyse experimental results in collaboration with ChatGPT to validate or refine hypotheses and formulate new research questions.

#6. Documentation and Report Writing

ChatGPT can help researchers with communications efforts, such as:

• Drafting research proposals, experimental protocols, manuscripts, and reports.
• Ensuring clarity, coherence, and adherence to scientific writing conventions.
• Editing and revising written documents for grammar, style, and content.
• Incorporating feedback from ChatGPT to improve the quality and impact of written communications.

Action Items

• Provide ChatGPT with an outline or key points to include in the document and request assistance in drafting specific sections.
• Collaborate with ChatGPT to refine language and structure, ensuring the document is clear, concise, and scientifically accurate.
• Use ChatGPT to generate figures, tables, or graphical abstracts to enhance the visual presentation of research findings.

#7. Expert Consultation and Collaboration

ChatGPT can bring researchers together by: 

• Connecting with experts in specific fields or disciplines.
• Facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Seeking advice and insights from experts on complex scientific questions or challenges.
• Fostering a collaborative environment by integrating ChatGPT into research discussions and team meetings.

Action Items

• Describe the research topic or question to ChatGPT and request recommendations for experts or relevant resources.
• Use ChatGPT to facilitate virtual meetings or discussions with experts to exchange ideas and seek guidance on research projects.
• Incorporate input from ChatGPT and external experts into research planning, experimental design, and data interpretation.

#8. Biological Data Mining and Analysis

ChatGPT can assist in mining large amounts of data. It can help:

• Access and analyze biological databases to extract relevant information.
• Perform genomic, proteomic, or metabolomic data analysis.
• Identify patterns, correlations, and biological insights from large datasets.
• Integrate data analysis results with experimental findings to derive meaningful conclusions.

Action Items

• Provide ChatGPT with specific queries or datasets and request assistance with data mining and analysis.
• Collaborate with ChatGPT to interpret complex biological data and identify potential relationships or trends.
• Use ChatGPT to explore bioinformatics tools and methodologies for data analysis and visualization.

#9. Regulatory Guidance

ChatGPT can aid you in:

• Navigating regulatory frameworks and legal requirements for research protocols and data handling.
• Staying informed about emerging ethical and regulatory developments in the biotech industry.

Action Items

• Discuss regulatory concerns with ChatGPT and seek guidance on best practices and compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with ChatGPT to develop protocols and procedures that adhere to regulatory guidelines.
• Use ChatGPT to stay updated on relevant regulations, policies, and guidelines from regulatory agencies and professional organizations.

#10.  Continual Learning and Knowledge Expansion

Researchers can use ChatGPT as a learning tool to;

• Stay updated on the latest advancements and discoveries in biotech research.
• Explore new research areas, methodologies, and technologies.
• Enhance understanding of complex scientific concepts through interactive dialogue and exploration.
• Access educational resources, training materials, and scientific literature to support professional development.

Action Items

• Engage ChatGPT in discussions about emerging topics or trends in biotech research and request relevant resources or references.
• Use ChatGPT to explore online courses, webinars, and workshops on specialized topics to expand your knowledge and skills.
• Collaborate with ChatGPT to develop personalized learning plans and set professional growth and development goals.
• Regularly interact with ChatGPT to ask questions, seek clarification, and deepen understanding of scientific principles and methodologies.

Conclusion

To utilize AI, GenAI, large language models (LLMs), and machine learning (ML) wisely, it is essential to have structured data to input into the system. If the data is not clean, the insights received from the tool of choice will not have the level of trust that you need for ethical science practices. 

If you’d like to learn more about Digital Lab Strategy, read our comprehensive article on Digital Lab Strategy or schedule a free personal demo with our team.

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In today’s fast-paced scientific landscape, laboratories are under immense pressure to enhance productivity, ensure accuracy and comply with stringent regulatory standards. Traditional manual processes, while familiar, are often fraught with inefficiencies and prone to human error. This is where lab automation comes into play—transforming how laboratories operate by streamlining workflows, reducing errors and freeing up valuable time for more critical research tasks.

Imagine a lab where samples are meticulously tracked from collection to analysis with minimal manual intervention; data is automatically captured and logged directly from instruments, while inventory levels are monitored in real-time, preventing costly stockouts. This is not a futuristic vision; it is the reality brought to life by advanced digital solutions.

In this blog, we will highlight:

• What is lab automation?
• The benefits of lab automation
• Key areas of lab automation
• Top tips for implementing lab automation

Read on to discover the transformative power of lab automation and how integrating automated systems into your lab can lead to unparalleled improvements in efficiency, accuracy and compliance. From automated sample management to streamlined data recording and documentation, discover how cutting-edge tools are setting new standards in lab operations.

What is lab automation?

Lab automation refers to the use of technology to streamline and enhance various laboratory processes. This can include anything from sample handling and data collection to inventory management and workflow coordination. 

Automation is crucial for modern laboratories for several reasons. It enhances efficiency by speeding up repetitive tasks, improves accuracy by reducing human errors, and ensures compliance by providing detailed audit trails. Moreover, it optimizes resource management, facilitates better collaboration, and ultimately contributes to more reliable and reproducible research outcomes.

The benefits of lab automation

Lab automation provides numerous advantages that can transform the way laboratories operate. By incorporating automated systems, labs can achieve significant improvements in several critical areas:

Enhanced efficiency

Simply put, automation speeds up repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing researchers to focus on more complex and critical activities. By freeing up their time, automation not only enhances efficiency but also fosters a more productive and innovative laboratory environment.

Improved accuracy and reproducibility

Automated systems reduce human errors in sample management and data recording, ensuring consistent and reliable results. Lab automation also enhances the rate of experimental data capture, increases the volume of results and allows for the use of a broader range of controls, thereby boosting the reproducibility of results.

Increased traceability and compliance

Lab automation provides detailed audit trails and documentation, making it easier to track and report compliance activities. This is particularly important in regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and clinical research. Automated documentation makes it easier to track, verify, and review lab activities, ultimately enhancing transparency and accountability throughout the entire process.

Better resource management

Automation optimizes the use of lab resources and reduces waste. Automated inventory management systems can track reagent usage and alert staff when supplies are running low, helping to avoid stockouts and over-ordering.

Enhanced collaboration

Automation facilitates better communication and data sharing among lab teams. Digital platforms allow researchers to access and share data in real-time, improving collaboration, project tracking, and coordination.

Key areas of lab automation

Lab automation encompasses various key areas that collectively enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and overall productivity of lab operations. By implementing automated solutions in these critical areas, laboratories can streamline workflows, reduce human error and ensure regulatory compliance.

Sample management

Automating sample management is essential for maintaining precise tracking, storage, and retrieval of samples. This not only improves accuracy but also significantly reduces the time spent on manual handling and data entry. Tools like barcode automation, ELNs (Electronic Lab Notebooks), and LIMS can significantly enhance these processes:

• Barcode Automation: Automatically generate and scan barcodes to ensure consistent and accurate sample labelling. This reduces the risk of human error and speeds up the process of identifying and retrieving samples.
• ELNs and inventory management systems Track samples in real-time, providing up-to-date information and reducing manual errors. This enables seamless documentation of experimental protocols, data entry, and sample tracking, ensuring that researchers have access to reliable and organized data.

Data collection and analysis

Automation in data collection and analysis allows laboratories to capture data in real time, facilitating instant access to critical information and enabling more sophisticated analyses. By leveraging advanced technologies, laboratories can streamline their workflows and improve accuracy:

• ELNs and LIMS: Our Digital Lab Platform automates data capture from lab instruments and supports comprehensive data analysis, providing researchers with a robust platform for managing and interpreting experimental data more efficiently.

Inventory management

Efficient inventory management is crucial for ensuring that reagents, supplies, and equipment are always available when needed. Automating this process helps labs avoid stockouts, reduce waste and optimise resource use. SciSure's LIMS (formerly eLabNext)offers powerful tools for tracking inventory levels, managing batch numbers and receiving automated stock alerts, making inventory management seamless and efficient:

• Automated stock alerts: Receive timely notifications when inventory levels are low, allowing for proactive reordering and preventing stockouts.
• Integrated barcode systems: Track inventory with ease using barcodes, which significantly reduce manual tracking errors and improve accuracy.
• Usage trends: Generate detailed reports on usage trends, helping in planning and budgeting

Workflow automation

Automating lab workflows streamlines routine tasks and enhances overall operational efficiency. By integrating automation into everyday processes, labs can ensure consistent execution and minimize the potential for human error. SciSure provides comprehensive workflow automation features, including automated protocol execution and task management, helping labs maintain high productivity levels and consistency in their research activities.

Data Integration

Integrating automated systems with LIMS data and other lab processes through machine learning and artificial intelligence can significantly improve lab workflows and decision-making.

By focusing on these key areas and leveraging the advanced features of SciSure, laboratories can significantly improve their operational efficiency, data accuracy and overall research quality.

Top tips for implementing lab automation

Transitioning to lab automation can seem daunting, but with the right approach and tools, it can greatly enhance your lab's efficiency, accuracy and overall productivity. Here are some key steps and best practices to guide you through the implementation process, along with practical tips for a successful transition.

1. Assess current processes 

Before implementing automation, it’s essential to evaluate your current lab processes to identify areas where automation can have the most significant impact. Conduct a thorough workflow analysis to pinpoint repetitive tasks, error-prone bottlenecks and regions. Involve lab staff in this assessment to get insights from their daily experiences.

2. Choose the right tools 

Selecting the appropriate automation tools and technologies is critical to ensuring a seamless integration with your existing lab systems. Create a checklist of essential features and compatibility requirements for your lab automation tools. Consider scalability, ease of use, and support services when making your decision. Solutions like SciSure's ELN and LIMS offer comprehensive automation capabilities tailored to various lab needs.

3. Train your team 

Successful implementation of lab automation depends heavily on how well your team understands and uses the new systems. Develop a structured training program that includes hands-on workshops, detailed user manuals and ongoing support. Encourage a culture of continuous learning to keep staff updated on new features and best practices.

4. Monitor and optimise 

Regularly reviewing and optimizing automated processes ensures they remain efficient and effective over time. Set up a monitoring system to track the performance of automated workflows and gather feedback from lab staff. Use this data to make informed adjustments and improvements. Implement regular audits to ensure compliance and identify any areas needing enhancement.

5. Prioritise data security and compliance 

Automation involves handling large volumes of data, making it crucial to prioritize data security and regulatory compliance. Ensure that your automation tools offer robust security features such as encryption, access controls and audit trails. Regularly review and update your security protocols to align with industry standards and regulations.

6. Foster a collaborative environment

Automation can significantly enhance collaboration by streamlining data sharing and communication among team members. Use digital platforms that integrate with your automation tools to facilitate real-time data sharing and collaboration. SciSure's ELN, for instance, provides an integrated environment where team members can easily share data and protocols, enhancing overall lab productivity.

7. Plan for scalability 

As your lab grows, your automation systems should scale accordingly to accommodate increased workloads and data volumes. Choose automation tools that offer scalable solutions and flexible pricing models. Plan for future expansion by regularly assessing your lab’s evolving needs and adjusting your automation strategy accordingly.

Implementing lab automation requires careful planning and execution, but the benefits it brings to lab operations are well worth the effort. By implementing these tips, you can transform your lab into a highly efficient and productive environment.

The era of the automated lab is here

Lab automation is transforming laboratory operations by enhancing efficiency, accuracy and compliance. By automating key processes such as sample management, data collection, inventory management, and workflow coordination, laboratories can achieve higher productivity and more reliable research outcomes. The integration of digital lab platforms like SciSure not only streamlines operations but also provides robust tools for data integration, security and collaboration. 

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This article was originally published by eLabNext prior to its integration into SciSure. SciSure was formed in 2025 through the merger of eLabNext and SciShield.

In an ambitious leap forward for laboratory management software, eLabNext announces the launch of its new Sample and Inventory System, transforming how more than 60,0000 scientists manage their inventories. This comprehensive overhaul was driven by extensive customer feedback and an unwavering commitment to enhancing usability, functionality, and integration.  

A New Benchmark in User Interface and Usability  

At the heart of the eLabNext Inventory Management System lies a dramatically enhanced user interface meticulously redesigned to meet the latest standards for modern and intuitive software. This advancement improves the system's look and feel and greatly enhances usability for many of our customers. In our commitment to inclusivity, we also improved compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), making it a benchmark for modern software accessibility. 

"We are thrilled to finally bring many of the most requested enhancements and features to all our customers with the official release of the new eLabNext Inventory System. Sample and inventory management and its comprehensive integration with our Electronic Lab Notebook have always been key deciding factors for customers choosing eLabNext to digitalize their laboratory.

With the release of our new sample and inventory management functions, we are ready to better serve the needs of our customers in the years to come." 

Wouter de Jong, Co-founder and Managing Director at eLabNext 

Innovative Features for Unmatched Flexibility 

eLabNext introduces several ground-breaking features with its latest inventory system, including: 

• Adjustable 3-panel View: A direct response to customer requests, offering seamless visualization of the compartment and sample information on a single page. Users can now customize panel width and easily access sample details while viewing a compartment.
• Enhanced Sample Management: The system introduces intuitive drag-and-drop for organizing sample boxes and collapsible sample series for efficient management of samples in batch. 
• Group-Shared and Customisable Views: Enhancing collaboration, users can now share customized data views across the inventory, ensuring consistency and streamlined operations. 
• Storage location and Compartment Overviews: Extended visualization of compartments and their available storage capacity as well as bulk management capabilities for compartments 
• Extended export options for Samples: Generate export in PDF, Excel, and CSV formats directly from samples listed in the inventory, catering to the needs of our customers to enhance inventory reporting. 

Full API and SDK Compatibility 

Our new Sample and Inventory Management System is built on eLabNext's API and is compatible with its Software Development Kit (SDK), ensuring seamless integration and extension through the eLabNext Developer platform. This compatibility enables users and partners to efficiently build, test, and release add-ons. 

Continued Development and Future Enhancements 

eLabNext is not stopping here; the release of its new Inventory System lays the groundwork for a series of planned enhancements, focusing on seamless integration, advanced search capabilities, and improved inventory management for biobanks. Upcoming features include equipment integration into the Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), email notifications for sample and equipment management, and enhanced stock tracking and reordering.

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This article was originally published by eLabNext prior to its integration into SciSure. SciSure was formed in 2025 through the merger of eLabNext and SciShield.

Gone are the days of manual stocktaking and juggling spreadsheets in many laboratories. With the natural evolution of laboratory digitalization, over 60,000 scientists now rely on eLabNext to manage their complete lab inventory in their daily operations. As the use of the eLabNext platform has grown, we’ve received a tremendous amount of feedback and suggestions from our customers on how to enhance and extend the usability and functionality of eLabNext's inventory management system. After an extensive development phase, during which we completely overhauled the inventory system, we rolled out a beta version to our customers in 2023. This pivotal step has allowed us to gather invaluable insights, paving the way for a broader release aimed at elevating the industry's leading inventory management system to even greater heights of excellence.

In this blog post, we're diving into the key features and improvements we've incorporated into our new inventory management system. We’ll also share our plans for future updates and refinements to enhance its functionality even further.

Breaking Down the Features and Enhancements

This new inventory system incorporates some of the most highly requested features, improvements, and enhancements submitted by our customers. Here are the top 10 new features:

1. Enhanced Overall User Interface and Usability

The new inventory system has been fully reworked based on our new UX/UI standards to enhance the overall look, feel, and usability of the module. These changes also align with expectations set for modern software accessibility compliance, according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

2. Flexible Three-column Panels

Among the most requested improvements was the ability to visualize compartment and sample information on the same page. To address this, we've introduced a third panel that opens next to the compartment view, allowing users to easily view information on any sample within a compartment. Users can now also expand and collapse panels and customise the width of each panel according to their preferences.

3. Enhanced Usability for Moving Samples

In line with the modernization of software tools, we've introduced a more intuitive way to organize your sample boxes. We've incorporated options for selecting multiple samples at once, allowing users to move samples through drag-and-drop to a different position within the box.

4. Collapsible Sample Series

Sample series can now be expanded within the sample list to easily visualise and manage the sample stocks that are part of a series. This functionality enables users to perform bulk actions on parts of the sample stocks within a series.

5. Group-shared and Customizable Views

Throughout the inventory, users can choose which data columns to display by adjusting the view. The width of columns can easily be adjusted to customize the table view according to the user's content and preferences.  Once a custom view is saved, it can be shared across all sample lists throughout the inventory. Additionally, these saved views can now also be shared with other users in the group, enhancing collaboration and consistency.

6. Improved Visualization of Compartments and Bulk Actions Support

We have enhanced the overall visualization of compartments and their properties. Users can now view compartment properties directly from the inventory browser, including limits, storage capacity, and the status of compartments when assigned to users or shared. Furthermore, users can perform bulk actions, such as printing labels or moving compartments, on multiple compartments at a time.

7. New Export Options for Samples

New extended options for exporting samples have been introduced. Users can now directly export lists of samples based on their selected list view. Supported export formats include PDF, Excel, and CSV, making it easier to share and analyze data outside the platform.

8. Sample and Location Selection

Addressing feedback about inefficiencies, we've improved the process of linking samples to experiments or other samples by allowing users to search for and select multiple samples before linking. Location selection has been enhanced for adding samples as sample series, through batch import, or when cloning, by enabling the selection of multiple locations if the created sample batch size exceeds available space in a compartment.

9. Full Compatibility with Our API and SDK

The inventory system is fully based on our API and compatible with our Software Development Kit (SDK). Most add-ons have been adjusted to ensure full compatibility with the new inventory system. This allows users and partners to more easily utilise eLabNext Developer, our API, and SDK to build, test, and release add-ons to the marketplace.

10. Other Improvements and Enhancements

• Enabled the option to enter a reason when archiving samples.
• Added the option to display the full location path in sample lists.
• Introduced the option to add a sample to the created series when cloning into a sample series.
• Reworked reservations as Assignments for Storage Units and Bookings for Equipment.
• Change owner function is now available as a sample action button.
• Tasks linked to samples are now displayed in a separate tab.
• Status icons for assigned, shared, and validation required on equipment and storage units.
• The number of samples that can be imported has increased to 400.
• Improved flow for adding samples to multiple locations when adding a sample series, either through cloning or regular addition.

Continued Development on Inventory Management

The major updates to the inventory system lay the foundation for further enhancements that we have planned for eLabNext in the coming years. We will continue to refine and improve our other existing inventory-related functionalities, including the Sample Archive, Advanced Search, Storage Units and Equipment, and our Supplies and Ordering System. Our goal is to ensure a fully seamless, consolidated, and flexible sample and inventory management experience for any R&D laboratory. Additionally, we are committed to delivering some of the most requested features by our customers, such as:

• Integration of equipment into the Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN).
• Email notifications for expired samples or equipment requiring validation.
• Support for setting multiple parents for a sample.
• Cloning samples to a different sample type.
• Changing the sample type for an existing sample.
• Bulk cloning of samples.
• Enhanced stock tracking and reordering.
• Improved inventory searchability, filtering, and reporting.
• Sharing of samples across groups and limiting access to samples within those groups.

If you have any questions about the feature improvements, please don't hesitate to contact us.

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Creating a biotech start-up comes with many tasks and challenges, along with the excitement of building out your company and business model. As you work in the early stages of hiring, fundraising, and meeting with investors, you also have a major operational focus on driving the science forward and building the laboratory infrastructure for your team.

Whether you are set up in a co-working/incubator space or opening a lab at a university, you’ll need to start managing inventory, equipment service schedules, ordering consumables and supplies, and, more importantly, handling new samples. Typically, many fall back on old habits from previous lab environments, including spreadsheets for tracking inventory, word processors for protocols, and physical notebooks for experimental recording and calculations. With the current AI/ML-enabled world of biotech, this is analogous to using a Polaroid to (unironically!) take photos or a landline to make phone calls.

Conversely, Digital Lab Platforms (DLPs) are the “smartphones” of your lab, an all-in-one solution that can manage samples, protocol, lab data, and files or automate data analysis, report generation, and submission to your manager. As you start your lab, consider the benefits of using a digital lab platform from the very beginning. Creating this standardization is key as you scale and require a more collaborative and organized environment.

Below, we look at some common start-up tasks and how DLPs can help them run more efficiently.

Onboarding and Processes Training

To avoid training new team members on multiple systems and showing the complex and unique ways your company manages data and other information, you can show them one system and train them on it. For SciSure for Research (formerly eLabNext), our user guides are great references for new and experienced users of the system.* The guides have visuals and links to assist you in your SciSure journey. 

*Pro tip: Create an SciSure training protocol in your Protocols module to help manage the training process!

User Permissions and Auditing

As you grow your team and hire, you can use your Digital Lab Platform to manage who has control over certain functions in the lab. Whether it is signing off on an experiment or archiving samples from your inventory, you can organize these permissions in our permissions settings. You can control these functions anytime, make changes or updates when necessary, and standardize who is responsible for what is in your lab.

You can utilize SciSure’s logs and audit trail features to keep track of all changes and updates in your lab. You can see what updates were made to a protocol or sample information. You can also view the equipment validation history. Even the most minor changes, like updating a user from “scientist” to “administrator” in your permission settings, are captured and logged in the permission change log.

Inventory Management

Digitizing lab assets from the start of your lab is important for maintaining a well-organized environment. With SciSure, you can begin setting up all your new equipment, like freezers, centrifuges, tubes, pipettes, and more, as you build out your lab. To keep organized with service maintenance and calibrations, assign locations and log the service tech’s contact information for each piece of equipment to make scheduling service simpler. Your team can utilize the equipment booking calendar to reserve equipment while using it or to view when the equipment is in service.

As you start receiving and managing samples, you can easily track where the sample is being stored and create custom data fields to track things like quantity, collection date, sample type, and other metadata. Utilizing pre-barcoded tubes or containers from the start simplifies your sample management process. With our barcode scanning feature, your team can attach barcodes to sample tubes or utilize pre-barcoded tubes and easily scan them using our Mobile App (or any 2D scanner), enabling quick viewing/editing of all sample information.

Protocol Creation and Management

Digital Lab Platforms also enable you to manage all your protocols and SOPs with platforms. As you continue building your lab, standardize the team’s protocols by creating them directly in SciSure, which enables you to generate formulas that make calculations easier and minimize any calculation mistakes. 

Starting a lab and building out all new protocols may seem overwhelming, but our AI Protocol Generator has made it much less daunting by facilitating the import of standard lab protocols (like Western Blotting, PCR, or buffer protocols).

ELN and Reporting

Managing and monitoring project progress is critical for ensuring your research is on track and under budget. Digital Lab Platforms, can help you standardize experiments and reporting and visually track which tasks have been completed. 

It also allows you to collaborate very effectively with your team, assign tasks, tag users in comments, and collaborate on different projects within your team. SciSure is where your inventory and protocols come together; you can capture what samples were used in an experiment, the samples generated from the experiment, and what protocols were used. 

Other experiment section types in SciSure include file and image sections, where you can add files and images from your experiments, and Microsoft Office sections, which allow you to upload and/or work directly with programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for data reporting.

Get Started on Digitizing

As I’ve highlighted above, standardizing your operations to one multi-functional system (rather than many monofunctional systems) makes it much easier as you grow your team. SciSure allows users to customize the platform to their workflow and utilize the tool however it works for them. You get to define what information is captured within the system and how you want your team to use it. 

If you’d like to see how SciSure can benefit your new lab, schedule a free demo here!

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Lab Communication and collaboration are the lifeblood of any successful laboratory environment. In a setting where precision, accuracy, and efficiency are paramount, the methods by which team members interact and share information can significantly impact the overall effectiveness of lab operations. Whether it's through emails, shared digital platforms, or in-person meetings, maintaining clear and open lines of communication ensures that everyone is on the same page and can work together seamlessly to achieve common goals. 

Effective collaboration in the lab not only fosters a more cohesive team but also drives innovation and problem-solving, combining diverse perspectives and expertise to tackle complex challenges. By adopting strategies to enhance communication and teamwork, laboratories can optimize their operations, improve research outcomes, and accelerate discoveries.

In this blog, we'll explore various ways to enhance communication and collaboration in the lab. Read on to discover our top tips for improving lab communication, from leveraging digital lab solutions to building a strong team culture.

In this blog, we will cover:

• What is lab communication and collaboration?
• Common challenges in lab communication
• Improving lab communications with digital lab solutions
• Five tips to improve your lab's communication and collaboration
• Time to get connected

What is lab communication and collaboration?

Lab communication encompasses all the various methods by which information is exchanged within the laboratory environment. These methods include meetings, emails, reports, and documentation. Clear and effective communication is critical for ensuring that lab operations run smoothly and that all team members are on the same page, minimizing misunderstandings and errors. 

Collaboration refers to the cooperative efforts between team members and collaborators on projects, documentation, and data. Effective collaboration is vital for scientific research, as it fosters new ideas and drives innovation. Leveraging collaborative tools such as shared digital workspaces and project management software can help streamline these efforts. 

Implementing effective lab communication and collaboration strategies can bring a host of benefits:

• Improved operational efficiency: Effective communication and collaboration streamline lab processes, reducing errors and redundancies. When team members can easily share information and coordinate their efforts, operations become more efficient.
• Enhancement of research quality: Teamwork plays a crucial role in producing high-quality, reliable research outcomes. Collaborative efforts ensure that multiple perspectives are considered, leading to more robust and credible results.
• Fostering innovation: Collaboration is a powerful driver of innovation. When team members work together, they can combine their expertise and insights to discover new solutions and advancements in scientific research.
• Resource optimization: Collaboration allows for better allocation and utilization of resources. By sharing equipment, knowledge, and skills, teams can optimize the use of available resources, reducing waste and improving overall efficiency.
• Regulatory compliance: Clear communication is essential for meeting regulatory and compliance standards. Proper documentation and information sharing ensure that all lab activities adhere to necessary guidelines and regulations.

Common challenges in lab communication

Effective communication and collaboration in the lab don't come without their hurdles. From misunderstandings and miscommunications to variability in working styles and approaches, these challenges can hinder progress and create friction among team members. Outlined below are some of the most common challenges faced by labs seeking to improve communication and collaboration processes:

Fragmented communication channels

Using multiple, non-integrated communication methods can lead to fragmented communication. Information gets lost, and team members may struggle to stay informed. For instance, using separate tools for emails, messaging, and project management without integration can cause vital updates to be missed.

Data silos

Isolated data storage and lack of accessibility create data silos, which hinder effective collaboration. Team members need easy access to shared data to work efficiently. An example is when different departments use distinct databases without a centralized system, making it difficult to share and combine critical information.

Lack of coordination in complex tasks

Managing projects and tasks with multiple team members can be challenging. Without proper coordination, tasks may overlap or be neglected, leading to delays and errors. For example, uncoordinated schedules and unclear task responsibilities often result in duplicated efforts or missed deadlines.

Inconsistent documentation

Inconsistent or inadequate documentation can cause confusion and inefficiencies. Proper documentation ensures that all team members are on the same page. An example is when project details are recorded inconsistently across different platforms, making it hard to track progress and accountability.

Lack of real-time updates

Without real-time updates, teams may work with outdated information, leading to mistakes. For instance, if stock levels or task statuses are not updated immediately, team members might make decisions based on incorrect data, affecting overall productivity.

Inadequate resource allocation

Inadequate resource allocation is another symptom of poor communication in the lab and can lead to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Ensuring that resources are distributed based on priority and need is crucial. For example, if one project has too many resources while another critical task is understaffed, it can slow down overall project progress.

Addressing these challenges is crucial to maintaining a productive and harmonious working environment and ensuring the success of research projects. 

Improving lab communications with digital lab solutions

In modern research environments, effective communication and collaboration are paramount to achieving successful outcomes. Adopting digital lab solutions can be a sure way to transform your lab's communication capabilities, bringing streamlined processes, enhanced data sharing plus improved operational efficiency. From streamlined project management to more robust documentation processes, digital tools bring numerous advantages for improving communication and collaboration in any lab setting.

Digital lab platforms, including Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs) and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), offer numerous benefits and features that significantly improve lab communication and collaboration. Here are the main advantages and capabilities:

Centralized communication

• Centralized digital platform: Both ELNs and LIMS centralize all lab communications, providing a single conduit for sharing information, updates, and data.
• Real-time collaboration: Digital lab platforms allow team members to collaborate in real-time, reducing delays in communication and enhancing the efficiency of information exchange.

Enhanced data sharing and accessibility

• Instant data access: Digital platforms allow quick access to all relevant lab data and documentation, enabling team members to retrieve and review information effortlessly.

Improved project management

• Task coordination: Built-in project management tools help streamline task assignment, coordination, and tracking, ensuring that projects progress smoothly.
• Progress tracking: Digital lab platforms provide tools to monitor the status of ongoing tasks and projects, helping teams stay on schedule and meet deadlines.

Secure communication

• Data security: Features like encryption and access controls protect sensitive information, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access critical data.
• Regulatory compliance: Digital lab platforms help maintain regulatory compliance by providing secure data handling, detailed audit trails and long-term data preservation.

Better resource management: 

• Lab resources: Digital lab solutions help in better management of lab resources, including equipment, reagents and consumables. ELN platforms track the usage of these resources, while LIMS platforms can monitor inventory levels and usage patterns, helping labs optimise resource use, reduce waste and ensure that essential items are always available when needed.

Long-term data preservation and accountability

• Data preservation: Digital platforms ensure long-term data storage, safeguarding valuable research data and making it easily retrievable in the future.
• Audit trails: Detailed audit trails enhance transparency and accountability, providing a clear record of data access and modifications.

By incorporating advanced digital lab solutions like ELN and LIMS platforms, research facilities can significantly enhance their communication, collaboration, and overall operational efficiency. SciSure for Research (formerly eLabNext) provides the best of both worlds by integrating the comprehensive features of ELN and LIMS platforms, offering a robust, flexible, and convenient tool to improve communication in modern research environments.

Five tips to improve your lab's communication and collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration are pivotal for the success of any research lab. These factors not only enhance the efficiency of working processes but also foster a culture of transparency and innovation. By implementing strategic approaches and leveraging modern digital tools, labs can transform the way team members interact and share information, ultimately driving more accurate and reproducible results. Here are some top tips to improve your lab's communication and collaboration.

1. Assess your lab's needs

Begin by thoroughly evaluating your lab's specific communication and collaboration needs. This involves understanding the unique requirements of your projects, the workflow of team members, and any existing gaps in communication. Understanding these needs will help you choose the right tools and tailor them to fit your lab's structure.

2. Choose the right digital tools

Carefully select digital solutions that best meet your lab's requirements. Consider factors such as ease of use to ensure all team members can quickly adapt, integration capabilities with existing systems, and robust security features to protect sensitive data. Additionally, look for tools that offer flexibility and customization options to suit varying project needs.

3. Provide training and support

Provide comprehensive training for lab personnel on new tools and offer ongoing support to address any issues that arise. This includes initial training sessions, detailed user manuals, and a helpdesk for troubleshooting. Ensuring that all team members are comfortable with the tools will maximize their effectiveness and improve overall productivity.

4. Think scalability

Choose tools that can easily scale with your lab's growth. As your team expands or your projects become more complex, the tools should be able to handle increased demands without compromising performance. Look for solutions that offer scalable pricing models and additional features to accommodate future needs.

5. Foster a climate of collaboration

Focus on tools that enhance collaboration among team members. This includes features like real-time editing for shared documents, video conferencing for virtual meetings and instant messaging for quick communication. By fostering an environment of seamless collaboration, you can improve teamwork and drive project success.

By following these top tips, it's possible to build an efficient and modern digital lab that maximises productivity, centralises data management and promotes collaboration.

Time to get connected 

Enhancing lab communication and collaboration is crucial for the success and efficiency of any research environment. Effective communication ensures that all team members are well-informed and aligned with the lab's goals, minimizing misunderstandings and errors. By fostering a culture of collaboration, labs can leverage diverse perspectives and expertise to drive innovation and solve complex problems.

Digital tools such as ELNs and LIMS play a significant role in this process, offering centralized platforms for data sharing, project management, and secure communication. By integrating these advanced solutions, laboratories can optimize their operations, enhance research quality, and contribute to scientific advancements. Embracing these strategies and technologies will pave the way for more streamlined, productive, and innovative lab environments.

When evaluating the right digital platform for your lab, make sure to put communication and collaboration at the forefront of your priorities. Look for features that promote real-time communication, data sharing and project management to ensure your team can work efficiently and effectively towards common goals.

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In April of 2024 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule banning most uses of methylene chloride (CAS RN: 75-09-2).

Read on to learn: Why they are banning this chemical? Why now? And how this will this impact laboratories, where methylene chloride is still critical to chemical research.

What is so bad about methylene chloride?

If you know anything about methylene chloride (common synonyms: dichloromethane, DCM, MC), you probably know that it is nasty stuff. Short-term exposures can affect the central nervous system, and chronic exposures can lead to liver toxicity, and cancer of the liver and lungs. If you have personally handled this chemical, then you may also know that it is highly volatile and quickly penetrates standard thickness disposable nitrile gloves, presenting challenges for protecting against exposure by both inhalation and dermal absorption routes. Like many highly potent chemicals, the properties that make it so hazardous are also what make it useful for commercial, industrial, and research purposes! It is a low boiling point, polar aprotic solvent, ideal for degreasing, paint stripping, aerosols, and a variety of other applications including synthesis, extraction, and purification in the laboratory.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulated methylene chloride to protect workers in General Industry since 1997 (29 CFR 1910.1052). In that standard, OSHA set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposure, a short-term exposure limit (STEL) for a 15-minute period, as well as an “action level,” which triggers the need for exposure monitoring and medical surveillance to ensure that exposures remain below those thresholds. This OSHA standard also includes requirements for establishing designated areas for methylene chloride use, hazard communication and training requirements for employees, and recommendations for safety controls to maintain methylene chloride concentrations below the permissible limits.

Why is the EPA banning methylene chloride now?

If this infamously hazardous material has already been regulated for decades, why is the EPA only now imposing this ban? The answer is, in short, because now they can!

In 2016, congress passed legislation to revise the EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), granting the agency new powers and responsibilities for ensuring that “no chemical in U.S. commerce poses an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment.” Of 90 high-risk substances identified to be evaluated by the EPA, methylene chloride is among the first 10 for which they are conducting a mandatory risk review. In 2019, the EPA banned the use of methylene chloride and another chemical, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) (CAS RN: 872-50-4), for consumer and most types of commercial paint and coating removal. The agency focused on the paint and coating removal process first because of the high potential for exposure in this frequent, routine, and high-concentration usage. For evidence of that danger, just look at the worker fatality statistics, which show that between 1980 and 2018, of the 85 reported worker deaths related to methylene chloride exposure, 60 of them involved paint strippers.

The EPA’s revised methylene chloride risk evaluation in November of 2022, which evaluated an expanded set of conditions of use – unsurprisingly – determined that the chemical, “as a whole chemical substance, presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health under the conditions of use [evaluated].” In May of 2023, the EPA proposed their methylene chlorine regulation to ensure that this chemical would no longer present unreasonable risk to human health or the environment. After a period of public comment, the EPA finalized the rule in April of 2024, but as of the publication of this article in May of 2024, it has not yet been entered into the Federal Register.

Does this ban apply to laboratory use?

Although the rule does not impose a complete ban on the use of methylene chloride, it does prohibit it in most industrial, commercial, and consumer uses. The EPA, however, is allowing for “limited and controlled continued use in tandem with additional work protections for several purposes [. . .].” Among the list of 13 permitted uses is “industrial and commercial use as a laboratory chemical.”

The pre-publication of the rule explains that “laboratory settings are expected to be more conducive to the implementation of engineering controls such as fume hoods to ventilate vapors and adequately reduce overall exposure to methylene chloride consistent with the hierarchy of controls.” Of course, the use of methylene chloride in a laboratory setting will also be necessary for the analysis of the air samples that this rule requires!

How does the EPA rule compare with the OSHA standard for methylene chloride?

The EPA sought to keep their methylene chloride rule consistent with existing health and safety regulations for this chemical; however, it differs from the 1997 OSHA standard in some key ways. OSHA standards cover worker protection, but the EPA methylene chloride rule under TSCA applies to all “potentially exposed persons,” which is inclusive of not just workers, but also university students, volunteers, self-employed persons, and state and local government workers not covered by a state occupational health and safety plan.

The exposure thresholds in the EPA rule are also lower than OSHAs by an order of magnitude. EPA’s Existing Chemical Exposure Limit (ECEL) is 2 ppm as an 8-hour TWA, and 15-minute STEL is 16 ppm, whereas OSHA’s are 25 ppm and 125 ppm, respectively. Both agency’s use 1/2 the respective 8-hour TWA as an action level to trigger monitoring and medical surveillance.

Comparison of OSHA and EPA Exposure Thresholds

OSHA (1997)  

EPA (2024)  

8-hour TWA  

PEL 25 ppm  

ECEL 2 ppm  

15-min STEL

125 ppm

16 ppm

Action Level

12.5 ppm

1 ppm

What will the requirements be for laboratories that continue to use methylene chloride?

Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP)

While laboratories are still permitted to use methylene chloride, if they do so, they will be required to have a Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP) in place. The WCPP requires monitoring to verify that the exposure thresholds are not exceeded, as well as record keeping requirements, and other measures such as dermal protection.

The requirement for the WCPP will take effect 180 days after publication of the final rule. This is when any affected organizations will be required to do their initial monitoring to establish a baseline of exposure for potentially exposed persons. Within 1 year of publication of the final rule, any necessary controls to reduce exposure are required to be in place. Because of the new, lower exposure thresholds set by the EPA, even organizations that are currently in compliance with the OSHA methylene chloride standard will need to perform these baseline monitoring activities. That is, unless they can provide EPA with data from within the past 5 years proving that methylene chloride levels cannot exceed the new ECEL action level or STEL.

These air samples are to be taken in the ambient air, so they will not take into account any respiratory protection devices that may already be in use.

The rule includes details for how to select appropriate representatives of individuals for conducting personal-breathing-zone air sample monitoring, and this guidance aligns with the existing approach in the OSHA standard for methylene chloride. Unlike the OSHA standard, however, EPA is requiring “initial” exposure monitoring to be repeated every 5 years for as long as the chemical remains in use at the facility.

If any of the results from the initial monitoring exceed the action level, STEL, or ECEL, then additional periodic monitoring will be required on frequencies of 3 months or 6 months depending on the results. Each potentially exposed person must also be informed of these results, and an exposure control plan (ECP) must document the actions taken to reduce exposures.

Exposure Control Plan

The EPA’s requirements for exposure control are meant to be flexible and will not prescribe specific methods or devices for reducing exposure. Rather, the EPA encourages the use of the recognized “Hierarchy of Controls” which emphasizes elimination and substitution of the hazard to be considered before engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment are put in place. One of the requirements of the ECP is that it must document the process that was used to decide which controls are selected and justification for any less preferred approaches, such as requiring respiratory protection instead of using engineering controls to reduce the ambient concentration.

Although most of the requirements in the EPA rule pertain to respiratory exposures, it does also state that “gloves that are chemically resistant to methylene chloride” and “activity-specific training” must be included in the ECP for any task where dermal contact with methylene chloride is possible, assuming that the exposure cannot otherwise be avoided through substitution, elimination, and engineering controls.

Timeline for compliance for (Non-Government) laboratories

Required Action

Amount of time after date of publication of the final rule in the Federal Register

Establish initial exposure monitoring

360 days (and every 5 years, thereafter)

Ensure ECEL and STEL are not exceeded

450 days

If needed, sufficient respiratory protection provided to reduce exposures below thresholds

9 months (or 3 months after receipt of monitoring results)

Implement and document exposure control plan

540 days

What should laboratories do to prepare for the new requirements?

A suggested “Checklist to Prepare Laboratories for the Methylene Chloride” is included at the end of this article.

How do we know if we have any methylene chloride?

The first step should be to identify if your labs are storing and/or using methylene chloride. Utilize tools like SciSure's (formerly SciShield's) SDS QR Code to quickly access and manage Safety Data Sheets, ensuring up-to-date information and compliance with safety regulations. And if so, where, and how? If you have a trusted chemical inventory system, that could be as easy as searching the records for methylene chloride by name, CAS RN (75-09-2), and by any of the common synonyms (dichloromethane, DCM, MC).

If you are not confident in the completeness of the inventory, you can use messaging tools to target groups and individuals who may be storing or using the chemical. Instructing the lab inspection team to ask about this and to check chemical cabinets while in the lab space is another method for finding undocumented stocks of methylene chloride. Keep in mind that this chemical is often stored with other solvents, but it is not flammable and, thus, is not necessarily stored in the flammable liquids storage cabinets.

Although methylene chloride has been banned from paint strippers and other coating-removal products since 2019, now would also be a good opportunity to check products in maintenance and facilities shops or studios and replace any items that contain methylene chloride or N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) (CAS RN: 872-50-4).

Can we just eliminate methylene chloride from the labs?

Although substitutions can be made for some methylene chloride uses, there may very well be lab operations where it will still be essential. In in Green Chem., 2008,10, 31-36 (DOI: 10.1039/BE) the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) group at Pfizer Global Research and Development recommend replacing methylene chloride with Ethyl Acetate/Hexane for chromatography and with Ethyl Acetate, MTBE, Toluene, or 2-MeTHF for extractions.

In Teledyne ISCO’s January 2023 “Dichloromethane (DCM) Substitutes and Selectivity” post, they suggest a 3:1 ratio of ethyl acetate to ethanol as a starting point for creating new methods without DCM for chromatography purification.

Chromatography and extraction are good targets for substitution, because they are two of the most common and high-volume laboratory tasks where methylene chloride is used.

How will we convince the lab personnel to make these changes?

You may encounter resistance as you try to remove this common solvent from the laboratory, as swapping for alternatives will require additional experimentation before appropriate substitutions can be validated. Discussing with laboratory leadership what will be realistic and beneficial before announcing any policies or mandates is critical to successful change management. It is important that your laboratory personnel are well aware of the hazards and the new requirements as soon as possible to get their buy-in and to enable a smooth transition.

One strategy for encouraging the use of alternative solvents is to enforce limits on the total permitted amount and/or the largest permitted container size of methylene chloride. By not instituting a complete ban, you enable critical processes to continue, while still promoting the use of substitutions by making it less convenient and more expensive to use the more hazardous chemical. Additionally, by limiting the largest container size (for example, to 500 mL), the chances of a large-volume spill or large-volume chemical transfers will be reduced.

Instituting a permit-for-use system, such is sometimes done with pyrophoric or other high-hazard materials, can also help with the ongoing monitoring of where and how the chemical is used while also checking that the proper training and safety controls are in place where needed.

Will we need to perform air monitoring everywhere methylene chloride is in use?

The EPA rule contains guidance on how to select representative “potentially exposed persons” for initial and periodic air monitoring, but figuring out which activities have the highest potential for exposure is the first step.

This may require first carefully observing operations where methylene chloride is used and talking to health-and-safety minded laboratory personnel about real practices. Keep in mind that the tasks with the highest short-term exposure may include set-up, start-up, or shut-down activities such as transfers from larger containers for filling reservoirs or creating stock solutions, combining purification fractions, emptying rotary evaporator traps, or pouring into waste containers.

When thinking about potentially exposed persons, remember to include any personnel who may be involved with waste consolidation operations, emergency response, and routine laboratory tasks. You may need to update emergency response plans to include new monitoring requirements and the use of supplied-air respirators for entry into methylene chloride spill areas.

What is next?

Now that the EPA has made available the pre-publication version of their proposed Methylene Chloride Regulation, chemical hygiene professionals can start communicating with lab personnel and their own health and safety teams to prepare for what is to come.

Although responsible lab safety programs will already have training and controls in place for management of this famously toxic chemical, this will be a time for revisiting past assessments, approvals, and results to consider whether ongoing use of methylene chloride is still warranted in light of the more stringent regulations.

The reality is, for many laboratory facilities, especially where basic chemical research, synthesis, and a wide range of analytical methods are everyday occurrences, it is unlikely that this chemical can be eliminated entirely. However, if health and safety teams lead with a collaborative mindset and a focus on risk assessment and mitigation, they will benefit from the creativity and problem-solving skills that laboratory workers and management can bring to the conversation.

After all, this will lay the groundwork for the chemical safety community to tackle compliance with many similar regulations in the coming years. At the time of writing this article, the EPA is currently evaluating 33 existing chemicals under the revised Toxic Substances Control Act to determine which others present unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment; methylene chloride is simply the first to have a final published rule. The strategies and relationships developed now will set the precedent for successful responses to these future EPA chemical bans and restrictions.

Checklist to prepare laboratories for the methylene chloride regulation

Communicate and Plan Ahead

• Communicate with laboratories about methylene chloride hazards and new regulations
• Identify where methylene chloride is stored or in use
• Review any previous methylene chloride monitoring results to gauge which activities have already been assessed and whether those measurements indicate that the new, lower, thresholds are likely to be exceeded

Check Equipment

• Confirm that any equipment to be used for routine or emergency air-monitoring is calibrated and appropriate for measuring concentrations of methylene chloride to the level of detection necessary for the new exposure threshold values
• Confirm that local exhaust ventilation controls such as fume hoods and extractors are in service, inspected, and certified

Eliminate and Substitute Where Possible

• Work in close partnership with lab personnel to eliminate and substitute methylene chloride wherever possible— Consider instituting limits on total volumes or largest-container size to encourage the use of alternatives
• Identify where and how methylene chloride must still be permitted— Consider requiring a written approval (e.g., a permit) for any project or team where methylene chloride use will be allowed

Plan for Initial and Ongoing Compliance

• Work with a Certified Industrial Hygienist to create a monitoring plan for initial monitoring
• Document a Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP)
• Update the Chemical Hygiene Plan and write a separate methylene chloride exposure control plan if needed
• Update initial and refresher training for chemical handling to highlight the health hazards of methylene chloride and any new approvals or other requirements that will be put in place

Our Developer Hub is the newest addition to our Digital Lab Platform (DLP). It's the 1st ever democratic end-to-end developer experience that allows you to build new or extend existing functionalities to automate, integrate, and optimize your lab operations in a sustainable, secure, and compliant digital ecosystem. 

With the launch of our Developer portal, we are democratizing access to your favorite digital molecular biology, chemistry, and AI tools, elevating your lab's day-to-day operations, and revolutionizing how your researchers do research!

The core feature of the Developer Hub is that it enables companies and third-party vendors using the eLabNext Biotech software-as-a-service (SaaS) to develop their add-ons on top of our core platform. This capability has several high-value benefits for both developers (via eLabNext Developer) and eLabNext customers (via Marketplace), as discussed below.

Opportunity to Reach a New Audience

A developer portal can be a stage where developers can showcase their add-ons to users of the underlying platform. By listing their add-ons in our Marketplace, third-party vendors gain exposure to our highly targeted audience of potential customers already using SciSure (formerly eLabNext). These users will likely be interested in complementary solutions that enhance their software's functionality, making it an ideal place for vendors to showcase their offerings. This eliminates the need for vendors to invest time and resources into marketing independently, allowing them to focus exclusively on developing high-quality add-ons instead.

While an add-on may be offered for free through a platform, exposure to this new audience can indirectly lead to monetization, either through additional purchases or subscriptions from the add-on company outside of SciSure.

Community Engagement

Community engagement provides add-on developers with a valuable feedback loop for their products. Exposure to a new audience can provide add-on developers with a new way of interacting with users and tracking usage statistics. Vendors can gather insights into how their services are being used within the SciSure, what features are most valued, and where there may be room for improvement. 

This feedback helps vendors refine their existing offerings and validates the market demand for their solutions. Additionally, engaging with the existing SciSure community allows vendors to build relationships with potential customers, establish credibility, and gain valuable product endorsements by associating with an established and trusted brand.

Flexible Functionalities

Allowing companies to develop their add-ons enables them to complement the software better to suit their specific needs. This can increase efficiency and productivity, as SciSure customers can tailor the software to fit their workflows.

Tailored Solutions to Unique Needs

The flexibility offered by the Developer portal allows customers to tailor the platform to their specific requirements. Customers in the biotech industry often have unique workflows, data management needs, and compliance requirements. With access to a wide range of add-ons developed by third-party vendors, customers can choose and integrate solutions that best fit their needs, ensuring that the platform aligns closely with their business processes and objectives.

Adaptability to Changing Requirements

Biotech research and development is a dynamic field characterized by rapid advancements and evolving regulatory landscapes. Customers need software solutions that can adapt to these changes quickly and seamlessly. The flexibility of the Developer Hubprovides enables developers to create add-ons to address this new requirement and allows customers to quickly and easily adapt to these changing requirements in the Marketplace. For instance, the NIH recently required all grant applications to submit a data management and sharing plan (DMP). DMPTool, a recent addition to the Marketplace, enables SciSure users to pull DMPs from DMPTool and present plan summaries within eLabNext, along with a link to download the complete plan.

Flexible User Experience

Every organization within the biotech industry may have different preferences and priorities regarding user experience. The flexibility offered by our Marketplace allows customers to customize the user interface, data visualization tools, reporting capabilities, and other aspects of the platform to match their preferences and workflows. This level of customization enhances user satisfaction, productivity, and overall usability, as customers can tailor the platform to meet their teams' unique needs and preferences.

Scalability

The Developer portal allows add-on creators to create a vibrant ecosystem around the core eLabNext platform. As more developers contribute add-ons, the software's overall functionality and usefulness have grown rapidly and will continue to grow. This scalability ensures that the software remains relevant and competitive in the long term.

Laboratories in the biotech industry often experience workload and resource fluctuations due to project timelines, research initiatives, and regulatory demands. A scalable Biotech SaaS platform like SciSure allows customers to scale up their software usage as their needs grow. This means handling larger datasets, accommodating more users, and supporting increased computational demands without compromising performance or stability.

Biotech labs may also need to expand their operations or collaborate with external partners, such as academic institutions, research organizations, or contract research organizations (CROs). SciSure enables customers to seamlessly onboard new users, integrate additional data sources, and extend access to collaborators without significant infrastructure investments or disruptions to ongoing activities. This flexibility fosters collaboration, accelerates research efforts, and facilitates knowledge sharing across interdisciplinary teams.

Scalability also allows customers to embrace future innovations more rapidly without constraints. By investing in SciSure, customers future-proof their operations, enabling them to stay ahead of the curve, capitalize on new opportunities, and drive continuous advancements in biotechnology.

Reduced Development Costs 

Leveraging the creativity and expertise of third-party developers can reduce the development costs associated with expanding the functionality. Instead of building every feature in-house, customers can rely on the Developer community to contribute ideas and solutions, saving time and resources.

Instead of investing time and resources in developing software solutions from scratch, customers can select off-the-shelf functionalities that meet their requirements. This saves on development costs and accelerates the implementation timeline, allowing customers to integrate new features into their workflows quickly.

Shared Development Costs Across the Community

It also saves add-on developers money. SciSure Developer fosters a collaborative ecosystem where multiple developers can contribute to creating add-ons. As a result, development costs are shared across the community, reducing the financial burden on individual customers. By pooling resources and expertise, customers can access a wide range of functionalities at a fraction of the cost of developing them independently.

Cost-Effective Functional Expansion Over Time

While customization is essential to meet specific business needs, developing custom solutions can be expensive for SciSure customers. With the eLab Marketplace portal, customers can customize the platform using existing add-ons, significantly reducing the cost of expanding functions.

In-house development requires ongoing maintenance and support to keep the software up-to-date and address any issues. By relying on our Marketplace portal, customers benefit from continuous updates made by developers in the Developer Hub and support provided by third-party vendors. This ensures that the software remains current and functional without additional investment in maintenance and support services.

Faster Innovation

Access to Marketplace provides SciSure customers with an agile way to find cutting-edge features and capabilities without waiting for lengthy development cycles. As a result, customers can stay ahead of the curve and leverage the latest advancements in biotechnology to drive innovation in their research and development activities.

The biotech industry is characterized by rapid technological advancements, evolving regulatory requirements, and shifting market dynamics. The interplay between the Developer Hub and our Marketplace enables customers to respond quickly to these changes by adopting new functionalities and tools as they become available. By staying agile and adaptable, customers can capitalize on emerging trends, seize opportunities, and maintain a competitive edge in the market.

Just look at the emergence of voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa. This technology has recently been applied in laboratories and incorporated into the our Marketplace with the addition of the ASCENSCIA add-on. It provides an easy way for SciSure users to access information and record data while working in the lab, freeing up their hands and allowing them to focus on their experiments.

Streamlined Workflows & Automation

With access to our Marketplace, customers can create custom automated workflows tailored to their specific needs. They can develop scripts, plugins, or integrations that automate repetitive tasks, such as data processing, analysis, or report generation. 

End-to-End Automation

Customers can automate entire end-to-end processes by orchestrating multiple tasks and integrations within the system. They can automate data collection, analysis, and visualization workflows, leading to faster insights and decision-making. SciSure's integration with Elemental Machines, a temperature detection system, is a great example of how add-ons can facilitate automation in a life sciences laboratory.

Robotics Control and Integration

Robots in biotech labs often perform repetitive tasks such as pipetting, sample handling, or plate manipulation. By integrating robots with the system's developer platform, customers can automate these tasks, reducing the need for manual intervention and improving throughput and efficiency.

Workflow Orchestration

Automation allows customers to orchestrate complex workflows involving multiple instruments and robotic systems. They can develop scripts or plugins that control the sequence of operations, coordinate interactions between robots and instruments, and optimize resource allocation to maximize productivity.

Integration with External Systems

Automation facilitates integration with external systems, databases, or software platforms, enabling customers to exchange data seamlessly between different tools and environments. For example, add-on developers can develop software that interfaces with SciSure or other data analysis software to streamline data exchange and collaboration.

Quality Control and Assurance

Real-Time Monitoring and Feedback

Automated systems can monitor instrument performance and data quality in real-time, detecting anomalies or deviations from expected norms. Add-ons available in our Marketplace can help customers trigger alerts or notifications when issues arise, enabling immediate corrective actions to ensure data integrity and experimental reproducibility.

Standardization and Compliance 

Automation enforces standardized procedures and quality control measures, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices. Customers can develop automated workflows using SciSure that enforce validation checks, calibration routines, and data integrity controls, minimizing the risk of errors and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Audit Trails and Documentation

Automated systems maintain detailed audit trails and documentation of instrument usage, experimental protocols, and data processing steps. Customers can use SciSure to generate automated reports, logs, and documentation that comprehensively record experimental activities, facilitating traceability, reproducibility, and regulatory audits.

Conclusion

In the rapidly evolving biotechnology landscape, the convergence of automation, robotics, and data integration is paving the way for rapid advancements. With the Developer Hub enabling add-on developers to integrate with SciSure and our Marketplace, enabling SciSure customers to seamlessly expand and tailor functionality, biotech labs can harness the power of automation to streamline workflows, enhance precision, and drive innovation. 

By controlling robots and receiving real-time data from instruments, researchers can accelerate experimentation, scale effectively, optimize resource utilization, and ensure data integrity. This transformative approach increases efficiency and productivity and opens new frontiers in research and development. As biotech continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, the future undoubtedly lies in the seamless integration of automation technologies, positioning it at the forefront of scientific discovery and breakthrough innovation.

To see SciSure's Developer Hub or Marketplace portals and hear about how these tools have improved digitalization in the life sciences, send us a request and schedule your demonstration today.

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In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern laboratories, the integration of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) has become vital. Not only does this digital lab solution facilitate improved data management and accuracy, but it also streamlines lab operations, paving the way for improved efficiency and productivity.

Choosing the right LIMS is a pivotal decision for any laboratory looking to optimize its operations. The right LIMS streamlines workflows enhance data accuracy and provides comprehensive sample tracking and reporting capabilities. With the myriad of options available, selecting the ideal LIMS tailored to your lab's specific needs can be daunting. In this blog, we'll guide you through everything you need to make this crucial decision.

In this blog, we'll cover:

• What is a LIMS?
• Benefits of implementing a LIMS
• Differentiating between LIMS and ELN
• Key factors to consider when choosing a LIMS
• Practical tips for selecting the best LIMS for your lab
• Weighing up your options

What is a laboratory information management system?

A LIMS is a software-based digital lab solution designed to support laboratory operations by managing data, automating workflows, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. By integrating various laboratory functions, a LIMS enables seamless data entry, storage, and retrieval, which significantly reduces the risk of errors and enhances data integrity. 

LIMS play a central role in modern labs by handling complex data management tasks and providing a structured and efficient approach to laboratory processes. They also facilitate better resource management, such as inventory tracking and equipment maintenance, and can generate insightful reports to aid in decision-making and regulatory submissions. Overall, a LIMS is an indispensable tool for laboratories aiming to improve productivity, accuracy, and compliance in today's fast-paced scientific environment.

Benefits of implementing a LIMS

The benefits of implementing a LIMS are vast and varied, offering significant enhancements across various facets of lab operations:

• Improved data management: A LIMS ensures the integrity and accessibility of data, which is crucial for reducing errors and improving the accuracy of decision-making processes. Centralizing data storage facilitates easier retrieval and analysis, thereby supporting more informed scientific conclusions and business strategies.
• Streamlined workflows: By automating routine and repetitive tasks, LIMS frees up valuable time for research and development activities. This automation can include sample handling, data entry, and report generation, leading to increased efficiency and productivity within the laboratory.
• Enhanced sample tracking: A LIMS provides precise tracking of samples within the lab, from collection to final analysis. This improved traceability ensures accountability and reduces the risk of sample loss or contamination, which is vital for maintaining the quality and reliability of lab results.
• Inventory management: By keeping track of lab inventory in real-time, LIMS aids in resource planning and budgeting. This feature helps labs manage their supplies more effectively, avoiding shortages and minimizing waste, which can result in cost savings and more efficient operations.

LIMS can be beneficial for a wide range of laboratories, including those involved in research and development, quality control, and biobanks. In research and development labs, it supports innovation by streamlining data management and sample tracking, allowing scientists to focus on their core scientific activities. Quality control labs benefit from enhanced data integrity and regulatory compliance, while biobanks can manage large volumes of biological samples with greater accuracy and reliability. 

Overall, the implementation of a LIMS can lead to significant improvements in lab efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.

Differentiating between LIMS and ELN

In addition to LIMS, another popular digital lab solution is electronic lab notebooks (ELNs). These solutions serve distinct purposes – understanding the difference between the two is crucial when deciding on a digital platform for your lab:

LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System)

• Primary focus: Managing samples, associated data, and laboratory workflows. It tracks the lifecycle of samples from receipt to disposal and supports various laboratory processes.
• Key Features: Sample tracking, inventory management, quality control, reporting and analytics, workflow automation.
• Use Cases: Managing high-throughput laboratories, clinical diagnostics, environmental testing, and any lab requiring rigorous sample tracking and process automation. Common in clinical labs, environmental labs, and industrial testing facilities.
• User Interaction: Used by lab managers, technicians, and analysts to track and manage samples, workflows, and lab resources.
• Rigidity: LIMS are designed to enforce strict protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance with regulatory standards.

ELN (Electronic Lab Notebook)

• Primary Focus: Documenting experiments, research notes, observations, and procedures. It serves as a digital replacement for traditional paper lab notebooks.
• Key Features: Templates for experimental protocols, electronic documentation and signatures, search functionality, and version control.
• Use Cases: Documenting detailed experimental procedures, capturing research data in real-time, and supporting collaborative research projects. Common in academic research, pharmaceutical R&D, and biotech labs.
• User Interaction: Scientists and researchers use ELN interactively to document their daily work and experimental details.
• Flexibility: ELNs are designed to be more flexible and user-friendly. They allow scientists and researchers to document their experiments, observations, and notes in a manner that suits their individual needs and preferences. 

The best of both worlds

SciSure's (formerly eLabNext's) ELN capabilities are a comprehensive platform that bridges the functionalities of both LIMS and ELN and is tailored to the R&D Sector. This unified system seamlessly combines sample management, workflow automation, and experiment documentation, providing an all-in-one solution for modern laboratories. Some of the top features include:

• Adaptability: Adapts to the specific needs of various laboratory environments, ensuring it can be tailored to fit unique workflows and requirements. This adaptability makes it a versatile choice for a wide range of scientific research settings.
• User-friendly interface: Boasts an intuitive design, making it easy for lab staff to adopt and integrate into their daily routines. This ease of use helps to minimize the learning curve and ensures that teams can quickly start benefiting from the system.
• Data integrity: Ensures that all data is securely stored and easily accessible. This guarantees that essential information is always protected and readily available when needed, enhancing the overall efficiency of laboratory operations.
• Collaboration and data sharing: Enhances collaboration among team members with its collaborative tools. These features facilitate better communication and coordination, allowing for more effective teamwork and streamlined research processes.

Our Digital Lab Platform offers LIMS and ELN capabilities, which are comprehensive solutions for automating and optimizing lab processes.

Key factors to consider when choosing a laboratory information management system

When selecting a LIMS for your lab, several key factors must be carefully considered to ensure the system supports your unique workflows and research demands. Here are some critical aspects to evaluate:

Flexibility

The ability to adapt the LIMS to your lab's unique processes is crucial for operational success. SciSure offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing labs to tailor the system to their specific workflow requirements. Whether you need to customize data fields, create specific workflows, or integrate unique lab protocols, SciSure can be configured to meet your lab's precise needs, ensuring that it grows and evolves alongside your research demands.

API and integration capabilities

A robust Application Programming Interface (API) facilitates seamless integration with other systems and instruments, enhancing data flow and operational efficiency across the lab. SciSure's API and Software Development Kit (SDK) capabilities allow for extensive customization and integration, catering to the unique needs of your lab.

User-friendliness

An intuitive interface is key to ensuring all team members, regardless of their technical expertise, can effectively interact with and utilize the LIMS. SciSure boasts an easy-to-use interface designed specifically for life science R&D, ensuring a smooth user experience. The user-friendly design minimizes the learning curve, allowing researchers to focus more on their scientific work rather than navigating complex software, thereby increasing overall productivity and user satisfaction.

Automation capabilities

Automation within a LIMS significantly reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and boosts productivity. SciSure offers powerful automation features, streamlining various laboratory processes such as sample tracking, data entry, and report generation. By automating repetitive tasks, labs can reduce the risk of human error, ensure data accuracy, and free up valuable time for scientists to focus on critical research activities.

Implementation timeline

A swift and smooth implementation process is essential to minimize disruption to lab operations and ensure quick adoption of the new system. SciSure provides a streamlined implementation process, ensuring your lab can quickly benefit from its features. The dedicated implementation team works closely with your lab to provide training, support, and customization, ensuring that the transition is seamless and that your team is well-equipped to utilize the system effectively from day one.

Practical tips for selecting the best LIMS for your lab

Selecting the right LIMS for your lab can be a daunting task, but these practical tips will guide you through the process. From assessing your lab's specific needs to planning for future growth, we've got you covered:

1. Assess your lab's specific needs

Understanding your lab's specific requirements is the first step in selecting the right LIMS. Consider both current needs, such as sample tracking and data management, and future growth to ensure the selected LIMS can scale with your lab. Additionally, evaluate any specialized requirements your lab might have, such as integration with existing equipment or specific compliance standards.

2. Evaluate multiple vendors

Take the time to explore and compare what different vendors offer. Request demos and trials to get a hands-on understanding of how each LIMS works. Consider feedback from existing users and look for reviews or case studies that reflect the experiences of labs similar to yours. This can provide invaluable insights into the reliability, user-friendliness, and overall performance of the LIMS from each vendor.

3. Consider the total cost of ownership

Look beyond initial costs and assess the long-term value of the LIMS. Consider aspects such as ongoing maintenance, customer support, training, and software upgrades, all of which can significantly impact the total cost of ownership. Make sure to ask vendors about any hidden costs or fees that might arise over the product's lifespan.

4. Plan for the future

Ensure the LIMS you choose is capable of scaling with your lab. Look for solutions like SciSure for Research, which offers flexibility and ongoing support to help you adapt to your evolving needs. Make sure the system can handle increased data loads, support additional users, and integrate with new technologies as they become available. Planning for future expansion will help ensure your lab remains efficient and effective as it grows.

By carefully following these steps, you can ensure that you choose a LIMS that will serve your lab effectively now and in the future.

Weighing up your options

Choosing the right LIMS is a critical decision that can significantly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of your laboratory operations. By considering the specific needs of your lab, evaluating the options available, and focusing on long-term value, you can choose a LIMS that will support your lab's success well into the future. 

SciSure offers a comprehensive, customizable solution that combines the best of LIMS and ELN functionalities, making it an ideal choice for labs of all sizes and specialties. Discover the benefits of investing in the right LIMS for long-term success and take the first step towards optimizing your lab operations with SciSure.

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This article was originally published by eLabNext prior to its integration into SciSure. SciSure was formed in 2025 through the merger of eLabNext and SciShield.

We live in an incredible time where labs have access to great tools, from automation to AI. But in a world where technological advancements rapidly evolve and shape our world, scientific laboratories are often playing catch-up. The reluctance to fully accept digitization has profoundly impacted our scientific research efficiency and quality. Paper-based and manual documentation processes are one of the core methods that are outdated and hinder progress, leaving labs scrambling to catch up with the rapid pace of innovation.

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In the following blog, we discuss how electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) and other digital platforms enable labs to digitize their operations more quickly and how integration with voice assistants drives the next leap in lab efficiency.

The Era of Lab Digitization

The laboratory digitization movement has already started and is accelerating. Labs worldwide have recognized the need to modernize their operations and change how they manage their data. ELNs are emerging as vital tools for enhancing lab operations through better data management. Such tools offer scientific lab features such as structuring and tracking data, flexible collaboration between scientists, time-saving add-ons, and inventory management platforms. Labs that have embraced and continue to embrace digitization are more flexible, organized, and collaborative, putting them at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries and allowing them to respond rapidly to biomedical emergencies like COVID-19 by developing novel vaccines and managing in-house viral testing facilities.

However, using such tools can come with a price. Adopting ELNs and a new way of doing lab work can be very challenging. Given the diversity and complexity of scientific labs, scientists may need help accessing ELNs from the lab or documenting their data instantly, creating additional burdens. For instance, scientists may need to dedicate a whole day of their week to updating their ELNs through a manual process of collecting old, scribbled notes. Such inefficiencies can impact the adoption of ELN solutions in the lab, slow the lab’s digitization process, and impede the overall research operations.

Integrating Voice Assistants with ELNs – A Game-Changer

Now, imagine taking this digitization journey a step further by incorporating a voice assistant into a lab’s ELN. This solution is now accessible through a partnership between ASCENSCIA, the creator of a voice assistant mobile app, and eLabNext, the developer behind an all-in-one digital lab platform. Through this software collaboration, scientists get access to this intermediary tool, making documenting data effortless. By offering a seamless user experience, labs can eliminate adoption barriers and revolutionize how scientists interact with eLabNext, producing higher-quality experiments. 

Here’s how:

1. More accessible data: Labs can sync the ASCENSCIA voice assistant with their eLabNext account with one click. This connection creates a two-way seamless data flow between the lab scientists and the eLabNext solution. Whether connected to the ELN or LIMS capabilities in eLabNext, scientists can access their experiments and protocols or locate their samples through simple, hands-free voice commands. Every detail of a researcher’s experiment is just one voice command away, without printed protocols or double-checking a paper lab notebook.
2. No experimental detail left behind: There are moments during experiments when things can get out of control, and a protocol needs to be paused to take notes, compromising the quality of experiments for the quality of data. With the integration of the ASCENSCIA voice assistant with eLabNext, scientists can focus solely on their experimental workflows while ASCENSCIA captures every detail in real-time. Every detail is captured in a structured format with a time stamp directly in eLabNext, leaving no work to be done later and saving your scientific team the unnecessary days of manually updating their system. Furthermore, ASCENSCIA’s voice assistant has 97% accuracy for scientific terminology, so there’s no need to correct entries manually. 
3. Fewer errors, accelerated R&D: Human errors can be costly in scientific research, leading to unnecessary repeated experiments and prolonged timelines. By leveraging ASCENSCIA voice assistant with your eLabNext solution, labs can minimize errors, streamline R&D operations, and reduce costs. 

Futurising Laboratory Operations and Empowering Scientists

In conclusion, the journey of lab digitization is not without its challenges, but the rewards are undeniable. By embracing voice technology, labs can revolutionize their workflows, making scientific research more accessible, efficient, and impactful. The rise of voice-activated labs heralds a new era of innovation, where scientists have unprecedented access to information and resources, reshaping the landscape of scientific discovery. ASCENSCIA and eLabNext invite you to be part of the future of scientific research to empower scientists to create a healthier world — one voice command at a time.

Whether you are starting your lab digitization journey or want to take it a step further, ASCENSCIA and eLabNext teams are here to guide you into the future of laboratory research.

Reach out to us at elabnext.com or book a demo at ascenscia.ai

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