Your go-to blog for modern lab management

Signature Workflows Add-on

The new Signature Workflow add-on allows you to set up an experiment signing workflow with multiple witnesses who must give their approval signatures. There is no limit to the number of approval steps.

Depending on your settings, every approval step will have to be performed by any of the collaborators of an experiment, a specific user or someone with a specific user role. Only after completing all approval steps will the experiment be marked as completed. Signature Workflows are assigned on the project level. This is a paid add-on, but you can sign up for a free 30-day trial.

AI Protocol Generation Add-on

Are you tired of manually creating lab protocols? Try our AI Protocol Generation add-on! Simply enter a few words describing your experiment and let AI do the rest.

Reports

From within the system admin panel, it is now possible to create a wide variety of reports, allowing you to gain insights into object creation, usage, and activity within your system. To access these report options, go to the system admin panel and access the reports section via the system dropdown menu.

Multi-select Compartments

Bulk selection of compartments is now available in the Inventory V2 Beta. This way, batch actions can be performed on the selected compartments, such as moving, deleting and printing ZPL labels if using V2.0.01 of the ZPL print add-on.

Select Multiple Samples in Experiments

Inventory V2 Beta has now been linked with the Journal. Browsing for samples via a used- or generated sample section within your experiment can now be done with the renewed Inventory. One great feature that has been added is the ability to select samples from multiple compartments. All selected samples are shown via the ‘Selected’ tab.

Archiving Reason for Samples

Another highly requested feature that has been implemented in the Inventory V2 Beta is the feature of adding an archive reason for deleted samples. By default, this is optional, but with the newly added group policy, entering an archiving reason can be enforced on group level.

If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Keeping track of critical samples, reagents, and data is necessary for the efficient operations of any laboratory. And if your lab has been operating for a while, you and your colleagues have likely developed a process for managing all of this essential laboratory "stuff."  

So, how's that process working out for you? 

Are their issues that waste time and money and result in misplaced samples or data? 

I've seen many labs manage their samples, reagents, and data using traditional paper lab notebooks, which can be cumbersome, disorganised, and difficult to search. By contrast, electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) offer a modern, digital solution to these problems by allowing researchers to store, organise, and share data digitally.

Previously, we discussed implementing an ELN in a brand-new lab. However, those in labs that are already up and running face a more significant challenge: Changing "business as usual" for a more cost- and time-efficient process. This blog will tackle implementing an ELN in an existing lab.

Step 1: Evaluate Your Needs

Before selecting an ELN, evaluating your lab's needs is important. Consider the following questions:

• What types of experiments will you be conducting?
•  What data will you need to record?
•  How do you want this data organised?
•  How will you share data with colleagues and collaborators?
•  Will you need to integrate with existing laboratory information management systems (LIMS)?
•  How many users will need access to the ELN?
•  What is your budget?

Answering these questions will help you determine which ELN solution is right for your lab. Be sure to check in with everyone in your lab, understand their needs, and discuss what an ELN needs to accomplish for them to use it. 

Step 2: Choose an ELN

Once you've evaluated your lab's needs, it's time to select an ELN that fills those needs. Many options are available, from free and open-source solutions to enterprise-level platforms with advanced features. To navigate your selection process, it may be beneficial to create an evaluation checklist. The evaluation checklist should be separated into phases to reflect your decision-making process. 

Here is a simplified evaluation checklist that can help you narrow down your selections:

Phase 1

• Identify multiple ELN vendors from which to choose

Phase 2

• Identify if any other departments are currently using an ELN
• Contact IT and your procurement department to outline various policies for purchasing

Phase 3

• Setup an ELN task force
• Setup regular meetings to discuss progress on ELN selection

Phase 4

• Interview and demo different ELN platforms
• Sign up for trials (if offered)
• Generate a list of must-haves and questions
• Take notes!

Phase 5

• Define the current and future scope of the ELN
• Outline the number of users needed
• Cross-reference various ELN capabilities with your list of must-haves
• Outline the funding source for your ELN

Phase 6

• Evaluate your short list of vendors based on results from previous phases
• Narrow down your selection to 1-3 vendors
• Make a selection based on price vs. capabilities, working relationship with ELN vendor, and overall ease of implementation in your existing lab

Step 3: Set Up the ELN

Once you've selected an ELN, you'll need to set it up for your lab. This will typically involve the following steps:

• Create user accounts for all lab members who will need access to the ELN.
•  Establish permissions and access controls for different levels of users.
•  Define the lab's data structure, including naming conventions, folder organisation, and subfolders.
•  Set up templates for different types of experiments or data entries to ensure consistency.
•  Configure any integrations with existing LIMS or other laboratory software (Bonus if your ELN comes with a fully integrated LIMS!)

Step 4: Train Lab Members

Training lab members to use the ELN effectively is crucial once the ELN is set up. This should include:

• An overview of the ELN's features and capabilities.
•  Instructions on how to create and organise entries.
•  Best data entry practices include using consistent naming conventions and recording detailed notes.
•  Guidelines for sharing data and collaborating with other lab members.

If the ELN vendor offers training and onboarding for key users and lab members, we highly recommend learning as much as possible from them.

Step 5: Monitor and Maintain the ELN

Once the ELN is up and running, monitoring and maintaining it is important to ensure it remains organised and effective. This may include:

• Regularly reviewing data entries to ensure they are complete and accurate.
•  Updating templates and naming conventions as needed to improve consistency.
•  Troubleshooting any issues or errors with the ELN.
•  Staying up-to-date with software updates and security patches.

Implementing an electronic lab notebook can be a significant investment of time and resources, but the benefits of improved organisation, collaboration, and data management are well worth it! Following these steps, you can successfully implement an ELN in your existing lab and take your research to the next level!

Contact eLabNext today to learn more about implementing our digital lab platform in your lab.

Making the right purchasing decisions in a laboratory can dramatically improve operations and productivity. But, deciding what to purchase requires thoroughly understanding your many interconnected factors.

When deciding between investing in a laboratory notebook or inventory software versus getting new laboratory equipment, it's crucial to approach the choice with a friendly evaluation of your lab's unique needs, goals, and limitations. 

Here are several reasons why leaning toward digital tools might be a wise move.

Improved Data Management and Organization

Laboratory notebooks and lab inventory software can be lifesavers when managing and organising your data. They make recording and accessing data a breeze, reducing the chances of data loss, errors, or misplacement. This is a big deal in keeping your research data squeaky clean and traceable.

A new piece of equipment will expand your technical capabilities. But it will also generate more data. And if you don't already have a solution for data management and organisation, it could further exacerbate your current challenges.

Enhanced Collaboration and Sharing

Digital lab tools offer the fantastic benefit of real-time collaboration and easy information sharing among your team, even if they're scattered around the globe. This boosts teamwork and productivity, which may not be as smooth with new equipment alone.

Stricter Regulatory Compliance

Many research fields have rigid rules about data retention and compliance. Lab notebooks and inventory software come with features that make it easier to meet these requirements, such as auditing, version control, and electronic signatures.

More Cost-Efficiency

Let's face it; new lab equipment can break the bank and often comes with additional costs for maintenance and operation. On the flip side, lab software solutions usually have lower upfront costs and can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Logical Resource Allocation

Your lab might already have all the equipment you need to carry out experiments. Prioritising software for data management and inventory ensures you're making the best use of what you've got before splurging on more gadgets.

Future-Proofing

Digital tools are like chameleons; they adapt to your changing research needs and the latest technologies. They're versatile and can grow with new features, which is only sometimes the case with physical equipment.

Better Time Savings

Effective data management and inventory software can free up a ton of time researchers would otherwise spend on tedious manual record-keeping and hunting for items in the lab. Without a software solution, new equipment will add to these burdensome tasks.

Supportive Decision Making

Lab software often comes with cool features for analysis and reporting, which can help with decision-making and designing experiments more efficiently.

Going Green

Getting new lab equipment can have a significant impact on the environment, from energy use to waste production. Opting for software solutions can be a more eco-friendly choice.

Stronger Training and Skill Development

Investing in software can also be a great opportunity to boost the skills of your lab team. They can become proficient in digital tools and data management, a valuable asset in modern scientific research.

Making the Right Decision for Your Lab

Remember, the key is to make your buying decisions only after carefully evaluating your lab's needs and goals. New equipment might be necessary to meet ongoing project objectives in some situations. The choice between lab software and equipment should be based on what your lab specifically requires. You can find a sweet spot by considering lab software and equipment in your investment plan.

If you're looking for a digital lab platform, Contact eLabNext to learn more about our software solutions.

Here at eLabNext, we support you at every step in your journey with our Digital Lab Platform, from implementation to scaling usage and expanding functionality! We understand that investing in a long-term commitment to lab management software like this requires trust and confidence, so our ultimate goal is to provide an exceptional customer experience.

To ensure our Support Desk meets or exceeds your expectations, we have implemented the SMART approach, a proven tool for planning and achieving goals, which means solving your problem. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound and provides a clear framework for creating trackable goals that align with your needs and our objectives.

In this blog post, I’ll share how I use the SMART approach to illustrate how we consistently achieve remarkable outcomes when supporting our customers. 

Let’s take it one letter at a time…

“S” is for Specific

When a ticket comes into our Support Desk, my first priority is understanding the nature of the request. I carefully analyse each ticket and sort them into one of three categories – bugs, requests, or questions – each requiring a different approach.

Bugs

If the ticket pertains to a bug – an error in the software causing unexpected results or unintended behaviour – my goal is to recreate the issue to pinpoint the root cause. To achieve this, I involve the customer in troubleshooting actions to determine whether it is a local or platform-related problem. Once I have successfully diagnosed and reproduced the bug, I escalate the ticket to our developers for resolution.

Requests

Requests can be classified into two types: feature requests and improvement requests. A feature request involves a customer requesting the addition of a new feature that currently does not exist in the platform. An improvement request, on the other hand, suggests changing or enhancing an existing feature. For these types of tickets, my goal is to submit them to our development team via our project management platform, JIRA, for careful review and consideration. Feature requests are prioritised based on the number of customers requesting them, guiding our implementation decisions.

Questions 

Questions we receive usually revolve around product usage. To address these, I aim to help customers understand and utilise the features effectively. I try to make my responses clear and easily understood by including visual aids such as relevant pages from our Documentation section or step-by-step actions with screenshots. 

“M” is for Measurable

I employ several strategies to measure customer satisfaction with the quality of their support experience. Before closing any ticket, I always ask for written confirmation from the customer that the issue has been resolved. Suppose the customer stops responding to messages at any point. In that case, I issue a series of follow-up emails to either re-engage them in the troubleshooting process or verify that their initial request has been satisfied.

I’ll also place bugs or feature request tickets that have been escalated to our developers “on hold” while they are being reviewed. When our development team resolves the issue, we promptly provide a follow-up email to inform the customer of the resolution or implementation. 

Once a ticket has been officially closed, our system automatically sends a satisfaction survey to the customer. These surveys provide direct feedback on the customer’s experience and identify areas where we can improve our service offerings. 

“A” is for Achievable

We ensure that our goals are achievable by implementing a well-defined resolution process for each type of request. For reported bugs, we have a systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving the issue. I ask the customer to perform standard troubleshooting actions. Suppose these do not immediately resolve the problem. In that case, I gather all the necessary information to investigate the issue and escalate the ticket to our Technical Support team to diagnose the root cause. The Technical Support team ranks the issues by severity to ensure that the most critical problems are prioritised first in the queue.

Our developers carefully review each feature request suggestion to determine its feasibility. Requests are ranked based on the resources required to build the feature and its potential impact on the entire eLabNext community. If multiple customer requests for a particular feature exist, we raise its priority within the development queue to deliver these high-interest improvements more quickly.

“R” is for Relevant

Ensuring their relevance to our customers is crucial in effectively addressing their needs and concerns when evaluating tickets. To determine the relevance of request tickets, we follow a comprehensive process that starts with fully understanding what the customer wants to achieve. I carefully analyse if their goal can already be accomplished within our platform. If so, I notify the customer of the pre-existing solution or a workaround to achieve the same result. 

However, if the solution does not currently exist, I meticulously evaluate the ticket to assess its alignment with our goals and its importance before passing it on to our developer. We value the feedback of our entire eLabNext community, so as more customers request a specific feature or enhancement, the relevance gauge for that particular ticket increases. This guides our development team in their decision-making process to implement features accordingly. 

“T” is for Time-bound

While we strive to resolve all requests as quickly as possible, specific organisations may require faster responses due to the nature of their industry or compliance standards. eLabNext offers a choice of three support tiers within its Service Level Agreement (SLA): Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Based on the customer’s SLA tier, I prioritise responses to their tickets to expedite the diagnosis and resolution of issues these customers face.

Conclusion

By following this SMART approach, I try to deliver exceptional support and ensure our customers have a positive and fulfilling experience with our platform. Your satisfaction is my top priority! So, if you have any questions or need to submit a request, please don’t hesitate to contact our Support Desk at support@elabnext.com, and I’ll be happy to assist you!

Large pharma companies know what tools they need to succeed and (generally) go out and get them. Why are start-ups and small academic labs hesitant to do the same? Is it just a matter of fewer financial resources? 

From what I’ve seen talking to labs, big and small, there’s more than just money at play…

Setting Your Lab Up For Success with Lab Essentials

To succeed as a research lab in academia or industry, you need a minimum set of supplies, instruments, reagents, kits, and other tools. In the life sciences, for example, everyone doing bench work in your lab will likely need a set of pipettes for accurate liquid handling. Without them, it may be nearly impossible for your lab to operate. If budgets are tight, you may skip the expensive programmable models and use a manual pipette. But no one working in a lab today would skip manual pipettes and choose to pipette by mouth to save additional budget. 

That’s an unsustainable, inaccurate, and unsafe recipe for disaster!

It doesn’t take much arguing to convince modern-day researchers that mouth pipetting is a bad idea. But there are other categories of lab necessities that are as antiquated as mouth pipetting yet still widely used and accepted.

Paper vs. Digital Sample Management: Beyond Budget

Every week, I speak to start-ups or small academic lab researchers who feel that paper lab notebooks and spreadsheets are a smart, budget-friendly solution for tracking and managing samples. They don’t realize that this outdated data management system costs them more money in the long term than software solutions like a digital lab platform.

One of the most common reasons I hear from executives and lab heads for not considering a digital solution is:

“We’re still in early-stage research and don’t really need it yet,”

It’s the “really” that always catches my attention. There’s some uncertainty nestled in their statement. The inclusion of “really” suggests that the person I’m meeting with hasn’t fully convinced themselves that they don’t need a digital platform for sample management. Simultaneously (and ironically), they’re trying to convince me. 

The other common objection I hear is: 

“We’re a new lab and haven’t fully established our processes yet.” 

Wouldn’t an effective workflow for data entry, management, and retrieval be the kind of process you would want to establish early in lab operations? If you don’t do it now, your team will have to break old habits when you finally switch, which will be much more complex. Establishing new processes is the perfect time to adopt new software. The software supports the process and helps to enforce the new desired behavior.

The Hidden Enemy of Laboratory Success: Imposter Syndrome

So, what’s with the excuses?

In the life sciences, we pride ourselves on approaching problems with total objectivity. 

But, in reality, we are still human, with our own biases, fears, and emotions. In the case of sample management, the truth is that many researchers feel they haven’t “earned the right” to use modern lab digitization software for sample management, record keeping, etc. That sentiment is just beneath the surface of the excuses described above. 

Statements such as “We’re too small” or “We’re not there yet” are different facets of the same self-doubt. What these arguments boil down to is something akin to imposter syndrome. 

Imposter syndrome can take on many forms, but it generally means a feeling of being a “fraud” or not being worthy of success. In the context of this article, “success” is having access to all of the same tools that a larger organization would use to do the same work. 

Just because you’re at a small lab or start-up today doesn’t mean you plan to stay small. You must surround yourself with the tools of success to reach your goals. You are worthy of using effective data management software now. 

Yes, even on a budget. 

Yes, even if you’re a one-woman startup. 

It’s never too early to start using the tools that will help you save money and time and ultimately support your success. 

Conclusion

Don’t let imposter syndrome cloud your objective reasoning and force you into a fear-based decision. Find software that allows you to start small (and inexpensive!) but will grow with you over time – as both your headcount and the scope of your work expands.

There are software options out there that:

• Will lay a strong foundation for your data management by digitizing your processes and preventing data fragmentation;
• Are easy to use;
• Can effortlessly be configured to adapt to your specific workflows, both now and in the future;
• And will provide the regulatory compliance you might need in the future.

If you’ll excuse me for butchering the analogy, stop trying to pipette your data by mouth. Choose the right tool for your lab. You deserve it!

To learn more about how eLabNext can help you establish the best sample management process for your lab, get in touch with us here today.

What is a lab audit, why is it important, and who needs to be concerned?

A. Purpose of a Laboratory EHS Audit

Laboratory Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) audits are not just about checking boxes; they are systematic evaluations to ensure minimal impacts from environmental aspects and health & safety hazards. Simply put, the purpose of a laboratory EHS audit is to assess the compliance of laboratory operations, systems and processes against EHS regulatory requirements, company requirements, standards, and best practices. Audits identify opportunities for improvement and the laboratory undergoing the audit should develop corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) to address the gaps.

B. Importance of Compliance

EHS compliance isn’t just a regulatory obligation – it’s a commitment to operate legally, protect workers, and preserve the environment. Non-compliance with EHS regulations could result in:

• Uncontrolled risks that harm employees or the environment;
• Violations resulting in regulatory enforcement;
• Fines and penalties; and
• Reputational damage.

C. Role of a Laboratory EHS Audit Checklist

A laboratory audit checklist is more than a checklist; it serves as a structured tool to guide auditors through the complexities of an EHS assessment. It helps auditors strategically and comprehensively assess a laboratory's EHS practices. Checklists can be considered an auditor’s best friend because they help you maintain consistency during audits and provide a documentation trail.

D. Target Audience

Laboratory EHS audit checklists can be used by company EHS employees, Quality personnel (where EHS is a component of a quality audit), EHS auditors who are responsible for conducting or overseeing laboratory audits, and laboratory managers. These checklists aim to equip you with a framework for conducting successful EHS audits and are beneficial for organizations across various industries.

How to Prepare for a Lab Audit

A. Understanding Regulatory Requirements

1. Overview of Relevant Regulations: Familiarize yourself with EHS regulations pertinent to your laboratory's activities. This may include requirements from government agencies, accreditation bodies, or other organizations.
2. Updates and Changes in Regulations: Keep an eye out for new EHS regulations or revisions in regulations to ensure your laboratory remains in compliance. Subscribe to regulator newsletters or legal register services, join industry networking groups, or review industry publications for this information.

B. Identifying Audit Scope

1. Determine the Type of Audit: What is the purpose of this EHS audit? Is it an internal self-assessment, an external audit requested by a certification body, or a regulatory compliance audit announced by a local authority? Understand the purpose of the audit.
2. Specific Areas of Focus: Define the scope and boundaries of the audit. Identify the physical areas and processes you intend to assess. Examples of programs that may be included are hazard communication, calibration/maintenance, industrial hygiene, air and water quality, hazardous waste management, etc.

C. Gathering Necessary Documentation

1. Past Audit Reports: Review previous audit reports to identify recurring issues and areas needing attention. This will help you follow up by addressing known weaknesses.
2. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Records, and Documentation: Request EHS SOPs, records and documentation. Get all the necessary documentation readily available so the audit runs smoothly and efficiently.

How to Create a Customized Laboratory Audit Checklist

A. Checklist Structure

1. Categories and Subcategories: A well-structured checklist will make it easy to use and navigate. Create categories and subcategories that represent the EHS topics that must be focused on. Picture these as the chapters or overarching categories in your EHS audit book – environmental management, occupational health and safety, hazardous material handling, and emergency response.
2. Question Format: Develop questions that are objective and concise. These questions are intended to get people talking about how they do their job so be clear with your wording. Each question should be formatted in a way to elicit a straightforward response.

B. Identifying Lab-Specific Risks

1. EHS Management System Gaps: Identify systemic gaps in EHS management that may affect multiple processes. For example, a deficiency in Management of Change processes means insufficient management of the decommissioning of a lab. Another example would be excluding non-managerial employees from a Safety Committee when they should be included to voice their EHS concerns and promote worker consultation and participation.
2. Environmental Impacts: Assess the different pathways the environment can be impacted: air, water, waste generation, and energy usage.
3. Workplace Safety: The safety of the employees should be the top priority. Evaluate the risk assessment process to ensure that workplace hazards are recognized and controlled. Ensure all contractors and employees are protected within operational controls.
4. Equipment and Instrumentation: Look for EHS critical laboratory equipment and instrumentation (e.g., fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, gas monitoring systems). Evaluate the monitoring and measuring practices such as calibration and maintenance.
5. Personnel and Training: Take note of the qualifications and training requirements of laboratory employees. Verify that staff have the training and competencies for their roles.

C. Adapting to Regulatory Requirements

1. Mapping Checklist to Regulations: Customize the checklist so that it aligns with the local regulations applicable to your laboratory. Each item on the checklist should correspond to a regulation, company requirement, or best practice if there is no requirement.
2. Customization for Audit Scope: Modify the checklist to reflect the areas of focus determined during audit scoping. For example, if the audit is focused on a specific area of the laboratory's operations, the checklist should focus on that area specifically.

D. Collaborative Checklist and Audit Schedule Development

1. Involving Lab Staff: Plan out a schedule of interviews and lab walkthroughs with the lab managers. The goal is to avoid unnecessary disruption of their work so don’t show up unannounced.
2. Seeking Input from Subject Matter Experts: EHS team members or consultants can help you in developing your checklist. They may be the auditors, or they may have a supportive role. Leverage their expertise so you can prepare for challenges that will arise.

How to Use a Laboratory Audit Checklist

A. Pre-Audit Preparation

1. Familiarizing Audit Team with the Checklist: Ensure that the audit team has reviewed the checklist's structure and content. This includes understanding the associated programs, questions, and the rationale behind them (i.e., regulatory or company driven, or best practice).
2. Assigning Roles and Responsibilities: Define the roles and responsibilities of each audit team member. Who is taking the lead on different sections? Who is doing a walk-through of specific areas? Who is documenting the interview notes?
3. Finalize Audit Schedule: Set up interview invites ahead of time so the lab managers and employees can plan for your arrival.

B. During the Audit

1. Step-by-Step Audit Process: Conduct the audit systematically as best as you can. The schedule may not go according to plan so be prepared for on-the-fly contingencies. In no particular order, review documents and records, ask questions, and observe operations as necessary. You may have to rinse and repeat those steps.
2. Documenting Findings: Record all audit findings, observations, and deviations from compliance. Document all findings, both positive and negative.

C. Post-Audit Actions

1. Analyzing Audit Results: Review the audit findings and identify trends or recurring issues. Determine the severity of non-compliance according to the company audit manual or other standard.
2. Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs): Develop a plan for the laboratory to address non-compliances, including development of CAPAs to address immediate concerns and recurring issues in the future. CAPAs should include responsible parties, actions to take, and clear deadlines.
3. Continuous Improvement: Use the audit results to drive opportunities for improvement (OFI). Implement engineering and administrative controls, update documentation, consider EHS Management System changes, and conduct training to address the issues. Engage leadership periodically and keep them up to date on CAPAs and other initiatives that require attention.

Tips for a Successful Laboratory Audit

A. Communication and Professionalism

Communicate clearly and concisely with lab employees and auditors. Establish open lines of communication early in the audit process. This will help everyone stay on the same page and ensure that questions or concerns can be addressed promptly. Be respectful of the time and expertise of the lab employees and auditors.

A. Thorough Preparation

Ensure that you and your audit team have a good understanding of the regulations, company standards, audit checklist, laboratory operations, and any laboratory requirements prior to arriving on site.

B. Audit Etiquette and Behavior

Conduct the audit in a professional and respectful manner, mindful of the laboratory's employees and operations. Minimize disruption and remember the goal of the audit is to improve the lab’s compliance with regulations and standards, not to find fault.

C. Templates and Software for Checklist Creation

There are various software tools and templates to develop a laboratory audit checklist. Some options include Microsoft Excel templates, Microsoft Forms, Google Forms, and other audit management software.

Final Thoughts on Laboratory Audits

A. The Importance of a Well-Prepared Checklist

A comprehensive laboratory audit checklist is a critical tool for ensuring that a laboratory meets all applicable regulatory and company requirements, maintains high standards of quality, and is continuously striving to improve its EHS and quality performance. For more details on comprehensive solutions, visit our InCommon Page.

B. Encouragement for Continuous Improvement and Compliance

Laboratory audits are essential assessments for laboratories to drive continuous improvement. There is no perfect laboratory when it comes to EHS or Quality but by maintaining an audit program, laboratories can set themselves on a path of excellence to mitigate risks to as low as reasonably achievable.

Automate Your Internal Inspection Audits with SciShield

Assign, conduct, and review inspections and self-inspections based on hazard and risk criteria, which drives real-time data analysis dashboards.

Learn More About Safety Inspections Software Here

Resources

1. Links to Relevant Regulatory Bodies

• ISO
• ISO
• Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
• OSHA
• EPA
• FDA

1. Recommended Reading Materials

• "Laboratory Auditing for Quality and Regulatory Compliance" by Donald Singer, Raluca-Ioana Stefan, and Jacobus Staden
• “Environmental Health and Safety Audits” by Lawrence Cahill

Adopting new methods and technologies is a natural part of life in the lab. Yet, transitioning to a new protocol or instrument always seems easier in theory than it actually is in reality. It takes significant effort to change what may have become habitual.

So, why go through the effort of changing your workflows at all? 

Often, there are significant long-term benefits. In the case of transitioning from one ELN platform to another, there can be short- and long-term advantages, such as expanded functionality, improved user experience, scalability, cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, and more.

If you're looking to move from another ELN platform to eLabNext’s ELN platform, eLabJournal, there are a few ways to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Research the New ELN System 

Before making the switch, you must research and evaluate potential ELN systems that fit your needs. Identify the features and functionalities that are most important to you and compare different options to find the best fit.

Import Data into the New ELN

After you've exported your data from the current ELN system, you can import it into the new ELN system. Check the import requirements of the new system and ensure your data is in the correct format before importing it.

Verify the Imported Data

Once the data has been imported, it's essential to verify that all data has been correctly transferred. Check for missing or corrupted data, and ensure all of your previous formatting is preserved.

Train Users on the New ELN

It's essential to provide training and support to users using the new ELN system. This will help ensure everyone is familiar with and can use the new system effectively. To make sure this process goes smoothly, it always helps to have designated leaders with the right qualities to effectively drive change.

Test and Evaluate the New ELN

Finally, it's important to thoroughly test and evaluate the new ELN system to ensure that it meets your needs and expectations. Consider conducting a trial period to identify potential issues or improvement areas.

Additional Considerations for a Smooth ELN Transition

Migrating from another ELN platform to eLabJournal will take time and effort, but it's worth it. eLabJournal is a powerful tool that can help you improve your research productivity and efficiency.

Here are some additional tips for a smooth transition:

Start Planning Early

The sooner you start planning for the migration, the smoother the process. This means taking the time to research the different ELN platforms available and choosing one that's right for your needs.

Get Everyone on Board

Getting everyone on board with the migration is important, from the researchers to the IT department. This will help to ensure that everyone is aware of the process and that there are no surprises.

Communicate with Your Users

It's important to communicate with your users throughout the migration process. This will help to keep them informed of the progress and answer any questions they may have.

Be Prepared for Setbacks

There will be setbacks along the way, but preparing for them ensures that they don’t derail the transition process. This means having a plan in place for how you will deal with any issues that arise.

Conclusion

Transitioning to a new ELN system is an investment in your lab's future. The short-term effort involved pales compared to the long-term advantages, such as expanded functionality, improved user experience, scalability, cost efficiency, and regulatory compliance. By following the steps and tips outlined above, you can confidently navigate the process, paving the way for enhanced research productivity and efficiency with eLabJournal.

If you’re interested in switching over to eLabNext, contact us today.

Across biological and chemical R&D labs, referring to “sample management” can mean many different things.

A “sample” could be a live mouse within a large colony. 

Or a cell line in a cryotube that’s on its 20th passage. 

Or a newly synthesized chemical. 

Or a recently constructed plasmid.

“Management” is similarly ambiguous: It can refer to what type of biospecimen or chemical a sample is, where it’s stored, who used it last, and when, or how much of it is stored. To manage all of this sample information along with the sample itself, labs need to carefully plan and pay attention to these details.

Fortunately, there are software solutions for this. Traditionally, scientists used Laboratory Inventory Management Systems (LIMS) for efficient and effective sample management, but more recently, scientists have relied on Digital Sample Management Software (DSM) platforms. 

There are some subtle differences between a LIMS, DSM platform, and many others, but regardless of what you call it (we’ll use LIMS in the following blog), there are key sample management features that all labs require to be successful. 

In this blog, I’ve highlighted 5 critical traits for any digital sample management platform.

Sample Traceability

Sample tracking is essential for locating the exact location of a sample in the lab and where it’s stored. This is particularly important when multiple researchers and technicians rely on or regularly use the same samples.

Audit Trail

An audit trail provides a chronological record of all sample collection, handling, storage, analysis, and disposal activities. Think of it as a historical account of a sample's who, what, when (down to the date and time), where, why, and how.

Audit trails are essential in ensuring the integrity and traceability of a sample. It can be used to identify any deviations from standard operating procedures or potential errors in sample handling and provide a record of any changes made to the sample or its associated data.

Sample Updates

Like we update our social media status, samples get status updates. An example would be when you do something to the sample (e.g., check for contamination and now need to update the sample to “contamination: pass”). Because this is such a frequently performed activity, any LIMS must support rapid and easy features for doing this. 

Biology- or Chemistry-Specific Capabilities

There are LIMS out there that are simple or list-based data management platforms. But what happens if you have to store specialized data, such as simplified molecular-input line-entry system (SMILES) chemical notation strings or integrate with other digital platforms, such as rendering a plasmid from GenBank?

Many labs make the mistake of buying 4 or 5 software platforms to satisfy those needs without realizing that there are comprehensive solutions that combine a variety of necessary sample management tasks together. 

Check out our article, “The digital lab: in search of leaner, greener operations” in Nature which talks more about this.

Sample Lineage

Whether you’re tracking chemical derivatives or the parent-child relationship of your biospecimens, ensure your system can track sample lineages and relationships between samples in your collection. This feature becomes particularly important if you’re involved in biobanking. Features like these can sometimes be overlooked or assumed to be a part of LIMS.

Find The Best Way to Manage Your Samples

The best software platforms have all the features embedded into the system. If a software platform is not capable of combining these capabilities into an easy-to-use, customizable interface or creates more work for you, then it may not be the most efficient or effective solution for your sample management.

Let’s chat about Digital Transformation, AI, and the world of biotech! Contact us here.

Starting up a new laboratory, whether you're leading a new discovery team at a company or opening up an academic research lab at a university, is exciting. Many things are on your “to-do” list, including purchasing equipment and consumables, personnel recruiting and hiring, and establishing workflows. Among these new things is organizing your operations to generate high-quality, reproducible data efficiently. 

After all, this will form the foundation for proving long-term success by meeting milestones, getting funding, and publishing papers.

Implementing an electronic lab notebook (ELN) can significantly improve organization, collaboration, and reproducibility in any research lab, and identifying an ELN platform that meets your lab’s needs is likely top-of-mind for any new PI or lab head. 

Here are some critical steps to identifying and implementing an ELN platform in a brand-new research lab.

Step 1: Assess your Lab's Needs and Choose an ELN Platform

Before implementing an ELN, assessing your lab's needs and choosing an ELN platform that meets them is essential. Consider these five key questions:

1. What types of experiments will you be conducting?
2. What kinds of data will you be generating?
3. How many people will be using the ELN?
4. Will you need to collaborate with researchers outside of your lab?
5. What is your budget for an ELN?

Many ELN platforms are available, both free and paid, and answering the above questions can help you narrow down the platforms that are a good fit. It's important to choose a user-friendly, secure platform with the features you need now but can expand its functionality for the future. Creating a checklist that compares and contrasts your various ELN options is helpful during your evaluation process.

Step 2: Set Up User Accounts and Permissions

Once you've chosen an ELN platform, you must set up user accounts for everyone in your lab using the ELN. You'll also need to set permissions for each user, which will determine what they can and can't do within the ELN. For example, you may give some users permission to create new experiments and enter data, while others may only have permission to view data.

Step 3: Create Templates for Experiments

To make it easier for users to enter data into the ELN, you can create templates for different types of experiments. These templates can include things like protocols, reagents, and expected results. Templates help ensure that experiments are conducted consistently and data is entered in a standardized format.

Step 4: Train Users on How to Use the ELN

Before you start using the ELN, training everyone in your lab on how to use it is crucial. This may involve providing tutorials or training sessions and documentation on how to use the ELN. Make sure everyone in your lab understands how to enter data, search for data, and collaborate with others in the ELN. Identify digitalisation leaders within your lab who are strong ELN advocates and know the platform inside and out to field questions and help move implementation and adaptation along.

Bonus feature: If your ELN provider can undertake training and provide supporting resources, this will decrease implementation time!

Step 5: Start Using the ELN

Once everyone in your lab is trained on using the ELN, you can start using it actively for your research. Encourage everyone in your lab to use the ELN consistently and to document their experiments in detail. This will help ensure that your research and data are well-documented and reproducible. This may be the most time-consuming and arduous process, but learning to use an ELN properly and using it often are necessary skills when working in a research lab in 2023 and beyond.

Step 6: Evaluate and Improve your ELN Implementation

After using the ELN for a while, evaluating how well it's working for your lab is essential. Are there any features that are missing? Are there any problems with the ELN that need to be addressed? If this is your first time using an ELN, approach its use with the same rigour as you do your experiments. Encourage feedback from everyone in your lab and use that feedback to improve your ELN implementation over time. Furthermore, ensure that this feedback is relayed to your ELN provider and that your feature improvements are actively considered and employed when applicable!

Time to Start Your ELN Journey!

Implementing an ELN can take time and effort, but it can be well worth it in the long run. Using an ELN can improve your research lab's organization, collaboration, and reproducibility. This will take your research process to the next level and make the challenging process of opening up a new research space that much easier!

Contact us if you have any questions or are interested in starting your ELN journey.

BOSTON, MA – Today, eLabNext, an Eppendorf Group Company offering a flexible, AI-powered Digital Laboratory Platform equipped with a Laboratory Inventory Management System (LIMS) and Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), announced the inclusion of Toxometris.ai, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that performs precise in silico toxicity and ADME property predictions of chemicals and substances, in eLabNext’s add-on library, the eLabMarketplace.

The integration of the Toxometris.ai platform enables eLabNext users to access a powerful report on a chemical compounds’ physicochemical, biological, and toxic activity in just a few clicks, reducing researchers’ reliance on expensive and time-consuming wet lab testing in the early stages of pre-clinical drug development.

“Our vision has always been to replace experimental in vivo safety assessment methods with hybrid models that combine in silico and in vitro technologies to minimize the usage of animals for testing,” says Zaven Navoyan, CEO of Toxometris.ai. “Making the Toxometris.ai platform available in the eLabNext software furthers this goal and enables researchers to easily prioritize their leads for further testing, derisk drug candidates, and ultimately, advance the safest and most effective drug products.”

“Many eLabNext users are deeply entrenched in the pharmaceutical R&D, so we are always looking for techniques and technologies that make their jobs easier and more efficient,” comments Zareh Zurabyan, Head of eLabNext, Americas. “As a platform that has long fostered laboratory digitalization, eLabNext has also been excited to adopt powerful AI tools that help users overcome global barriers, like the high failure rate and cost of small molecule drug development. Toxometris’ shared interest in this issue has created a productive partnership with eLabNext, allowing us to offer our users a new technology for advancing promising drug candidates.”  

Currently, the Toxometris.ai add-on supports the following prediction endpoints: Genotoxicity, including AMES, in vitro micronucleus and in vivo micronucleus testing, aqueous solubility, hERG cardiotoxicity, rodent carcinogenicity, and hepatotoxicity predictions. The number of endpoints is constantly increasing and will eventually cover almost all absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME), and toxicity tests.

About Toxometris.ai
Toxometris.ai is a company that combines expertise from academic research labs focusing on in vitro and in vivo assessment of chemicals and an IT company specializing in different AI applications. Within the company, biologists and machine learning specialists work together to create cutting-edge AI models that predict the outcomes of toxicity assessment tests. Leveraging their collective experience, the team can develop highly accurate prediction models that help ensure the safety of chemicals and substances.

Press Release PDF

Every lab has specific workflows, indispensable equipment, and quirks to their operations. For this reason, our eLabNext platform strives to fit scientists’ flexible needs, to bend (but not break) to accommodate unique lab environments. We provide an open ecosystem that allows our users to personalise their ELN by integrating or customising any functionality within the eLabNext software. 

The following blog explains the rationale behind our open ecosystem and its benefits. 

But first, some definitions.

Introduction to the Open Ecosystem

To understand an open ecosystem, we must first explain some technical details to differentiate closed-source software from open-source software. 

The main difference between closed- and open-source platforms is the availability of the source code and the freedom surrounding the use of the code. 

What is Closed-Source Software?

The source code is unavailable to the public with closed-source software, meaning that only the software distributor's programmers can interact with the source code. The source code is always written in one language and distributed to all users. 

Since closed-source software means no access to the public, the source code is protected and only modifiable by the organisation that has created it. This results in high security but a lack of flexibility. 

A team will always be available to help with issues and questions in a closed-source environment. It will work behind the scenes to gather feedback and constantly improve the user experience, making support rate and usability very high. 

How is Open-Source Different from Closed-Source Software? 

An open-source software source code is available to the public and can be accessed by anyone. This, of course, makes the flexibility of the software much higher since everyone can modify it and customise it to their workflow, but very little support can be offered. 

Furthermore, making the source code publicly accessible also increases the possibility of hackers accessing the software, decreasing security.  

Open-source software is usually developed and used by the same person, meaning the developers are also the users. This is typically challenging for usability since a very straightforward approach for a developer may be more challenging to understand for someone not trained in computer science. Therefore, open-source software usually is less usable than closed-source software.

The Open Ecosystem Approach

At eLabNext, we offer an open ecosystem, a middle ground that integrates both closed- and open-source software benefits. We keep our closed-source foundation but add an extra layer, allowing users to include third-party integrations, develop tailored add-ons, or combine different items into their software to customise it to their workflow and necessities. 

By adding this extra layer, we allow our users to communicate with parts of the source code of eLabNext to extend functionalities, add new features, or integrate third-party software. In an open ecosystem, the software platform is fully customizable. 

So, how can this flexibility be an advantage for your research? 

Instead of being restricted to what your systems vendor provides, you can personalise your ELN depending on what is needed for your lab. If you rely on what your vendor offers, you must pay for new features or tools that your lab might not need. The flexibility of an open ecosystem enables you to adhere to your budget while incorporating the tools you need for your research. It also helps future-proof your lab by allowing you to change the software according to how your focus and workflows will change over time.

The eLabNext source code is largely closed and stored securely. A team of different product specialists is dedicated to working on the development, support, security measurements, and many other aspects of the software, constantly looking for ways to improve the foundational platform. As you use eLabNext, there will be regular updating, constant software monitoring, and several security measures to ensure your data's safety. In addition, market research is done to learn about potential implementations and to receive customer feedback. 

In conclusion, an open ecosystem is the ideal combination of the flexibility of open-source software and the security of closed-source software. 

How to Find an ELN with an Open Ecosystem 

Whether or not a platform has an open ecosystem is not always clear, so there are a couple of steps you can follow so you can be sure that your chosen vendor can deliver an open ecosystem: 

1. Ask for the availability of APIs and Software Development Kits (SDKs): These are the tools to add the extra layer that allows integration and extension.
2. Try it yourself: There is no better way to understand a product than by using it! Ask for a demo and test the APIs as well. This is the best way of getting a clear understanding of the usability of the software and finding out if it can meet the demands and needs of your lab. 
3. Ask questions: If you realise that the support team or your account manager is not responsive to your questions, you can already have an idea of the kind of assistance you will get as a client. Good support is crucial when choosing the system for your lab; you never know what kind of issues you might face in the future, so it is always good to ensure you have a company that will help you with this. 
4. Check security credentials: Security is also essential, and you can make sure that this is also a priority for the company by asking for an ISO certification. Getting an ISO certification is a long and dedicated process that companies go through to demonstrate data security, so having one shows commitment to you as a user.

At eLabNext, users can customise their software by integrating third-party software applications that can work with the data from eLabNext. The API allows you to retrieve data from eLabJournal to process in third-party applications or write data generated by other software systems to eLabJournal.

We also offer our users the ability to extend, integrate, or customise any of eLabJournal's features using our SDKs, software tools, and programs that developers can use to create applications. With our SDK, your team can shape eLabJournal to meet the exact needs of your lab processes by adding new features, creating new buttons to combine functions, and more.

We also offer a Marketplace conveniently available on the eLabNext platform. In the Marketplace, you can find several add-ons developed by us or third-party software companies integrated into eLabNext. Users can easily find, install, and use these tools from the Marketplace immediately.

Most add-ons are free, meaning you don’t need to spend extra money to integrate the tools you already have.

You can test everything, and we are waiting for your questions! Contact us here to access a flexible ELN for your lab’s needs.

If you work in a laboratory, you know how important it is to effectively share equipment and resources with your colleagues. Advances in laboratory technology have given us access to remarkable analyzers and instruments for our research and diagnostic needs. But, while lab equipment can make workflows faster and more cost-effective, there are the added challenges of upfront investment costs, staying organized, continuous upkeep, and integration with other platforms. 

In the following blog, we’ll discuss these struggles in more detail and how to solve them with a simple and accessible solution.

The Problem: De-Centralized and Unconnected Organization

Whether coordinating a small or large lab, managing a suite of equipment and their associated operation is no easy feat. 

Here are a few challenges that we’ve heard over the years:

Lab equipment is spread across different rooms and floors. 

Validation and preventative maintenance schedules vary amongst instruments. 

When equipment issues arise, vital information, like a faded serial number or a lost user manual, can become unexpectedly unavailable.  

Multiple users with different schedules have continuous conflicts with equipment usage.

Different users have different experimental protocols or techniques, requiring time-consuming and error-prone setup transitions.

Many labs try to proactively circumvent these issues by implementing a shared spreadsheet or paper log. These approaches are not designed to be at the forefront of the lab workflow; they become "optional" rather than "necessary." As a result, labs still experience delays and conflicts with equipment reservation and preventative maintenance schedules. A missed re-validation may result in unusable or non-compliant data and potentially weeks of downtime due to part availability or field service engineer scheduling. 

While each scenario is distinct, the result is the same: Limited equipment availability. Ultimately, the consequences can quickly halt research, leading to lost time and money.

The Solution: A Lab-Focused Digital Approach

Without a centralized approach that lab personnel can easily access and utilize, lab efficiency will suffer.

A digital lab platform is designed with the lab's needs in mind and can help you and your colleagues manage lab equipment effectively and efficiently. By having a centralized repository for your lab equipment, you can optimize your workflow, increase productivity, and limit potential equipment downtime.

Here are the top features that can provide significant benefits to your lab:

• Reservation System - Many platforms provide centralized scheduling systems that allow users to book preferred time slots for equipment usage easily. Researchers can view equipment availability in real time with a simple calendar interface, enabling them to plan their experiments accordingly. Additionally, digital lab platforms often include automated notifications and reminders, ensuring users know their scheduled time slots and reducing the chances of equipment being idle or unused. You can also use options to block equipment reservations or change equipment status if repair or maintenance is required. The benefits of these features are fewer scheduling conflicts and higher efficiency.
• Equipment Summary - If something goes wrong or a new technician is getting trained to use a piece of equipment, do you have quick access to vital information? Digital lab platforms allow you to capture and store essential metadata such as equipment specifications, maintenance records, calibration data, and usage history. This centralized approach ensures that researchers have a reliable and up-to-date source of information about the shared equipment. Users can access detailed documentation, including user manuals, operating procedures, and troubleshooting guides, enabling them to make informed decisions and operate the equipment correctly. Furthermore, the platform's search and filtering capabilities allow researchers to quickly locate specific equipment based on parameters like availability, functionality, or compatibility with experimental requirements. 
• Equipment History - Digital lab platforms allow researchers to access a detailed record of past experiments, including experimental parameters, results, and any issues encountered. This historical data provides valuable insights into trends regarding the performance and reliability of the equipment, allowing users to make informed decisions about its suitability for specific experiments. Moreover, tracking equipment history helps identify any recurring problems or patterns of malfunction, enabling proactive maintenance and minimizing downtime.

Try eLabNext's Digital Lab Platform for Your Equipment Management Needs 

Overall, digital lab platforms help optimize the management of shared equipment by streamlining scheduling, increasing equipment uptime, and lengthening the lifetime of an instrument. Additionally, they can help promote collaboration, facilitate remote access to equipment, and “future-proof” your lab. These platforms increase lab efficiency, enable sustainability, improve communication, and enhance productivity in shared lab environments.

eLabNext is the most advanced digital lab platform that can help elevate your laboratory equipment workflow. Request a personal demo or start a free trial today to see how it can integrate seamlessly into your lab’s operations.
You can also explore the eLabMarketplace, where you can find and install add-ons and integrations that suit your specific needs.

In the ever-evolving landscape of laboratory management, staying ahead of the curve is crucial, while safeguarding your data privacy is paramount.

At eLabNext, we understand the importance of ensuring that your data remains under your control. That's why we are excited to introduce two groundbreaking updates that put you in the driver's seat when it comes to AI assistance. First, we've developed generative AI endpoints as a secure proxy into our API. The usage of these endpoints is decided by your explicit consent and actions driven by you, the user. This empowers you with easy access to AI-powered assistance for any custom-made Add-Ons created through our API and SDK tools that will be clearly marked to be using AI technologies. Second, we're launching a brand-new Add-On that can generate protocols based on simple prompts, putting you firmly in control of your laboratory workflow. Your data, your decisions, and your laboratory operations—safeguarded and streamlined.

Introducing the Protocol Generation Add-On

We are excited to introduce our latest Add-On using this new feature – the Protocol Generation Add-On. This powerful tool is designed to make your life in the laboratory even easier.

• Effortless Protocol Creation: Say goodbye to the days of spending hours creating lab protocols manually. With the Protocol Generation Add-On, you can generate detailed protocols by simply providing a few prompts. Describe your experiment, and let the AI do the rest.
• Customizable Templates: Customize generated protocols to suit your specific needs. Fine-tune the generated protocols, ensuring they align perfectly with your research objectives.
• Version Control: Keep track of changes and revisions effortlessly. The Protocol feature in eLabNext maintains a version history of all your protocols, making it easy to review and revert to previous versions if needed.
• Collaboration Made Easy: Collaborate seamlessly with your team by sharing protocols, fostering a more collaborative research environment.

Our commitment to innovation doesn't stop here. We're dedicated to continuously enhancing your laboratory experience. Be on the lookout for more AI-driven Add-Ons coming soon to our marketplace from ourselves and third parties, each designed to tackle specific challenges and streamline various aspects of your laboratory management. We're excited to lead the way in integrating cutting-edge AI technologies into your daily laboratory routines, making your work more efficient, accurate, and productive. Stay tuned for what's next as we pave the path to a smarter, more connected future for laboratory management.

Please note: This add-on is currently only available for cloud users. It will be available to dedicated installations on November 26th.

The power of generative AI

With the integration of generative AI endpoints into our API, we've taken a leap forward in making your laboratory management experience more efficient and insightful. With future Add-Ons created in-house by your own developers or by any third party, it can potentially help you to:

• Seamlessly Integrate: Our generative AI integration seamlessly embeds AI capabilities into your custom Add-Ons, offering AI-driven insights and assistance with just a few lines of code.
• Enhanced Data Analysis: With generative AI, you can perform more advanced data analysis tasks through our API. Whether interpreting complex research results, generating insightful reports, or exploring patterns in your data, these powerful AI capabilities are at your disposal.
• Simplified Documentation: Use our API/SDK combination to streamline your documentation process with generative AI. Create detailed lab reports, experiment summaries, and more, allowing you to focus on your research rather than paperwork.

Conclusion

With the integration of generative AI endpoints into our API and the introduction of the Protocol Generation Add-On, eLabNext is at the forefront of pushing the boundaries in laboratory management. These updates are designed to empower scientists, researchers, and lab managers with advanced AI capabilities that simplify workflows, enhance data analysis, and foster seamless collaboration. We invite third parties to join us in this innovation journey, leveraging our AI tools to build add-ons on the eLabNext platform.

Stay ahead of the curve and harness the full potential of AI in your laboratory with eLabNext. Explore these new features and witness firsthand how they can revolutionize your research and laboratory operations.

Are you ready to experience the future of laboratory management? Contact us today for a free demo and embark on a transformative journey toward a more efficient and insightful research process.

"Why can't I just use Microsoft OneNote as an electronic lab notebook (ELN)?"

It’s a question we hear a lot at eLabNext from various future customers who have made their very first steps on their digital journey. This question is often quickly followed by the question, “Why would we pay more money for an ELN or laboratory sample information storage (LIMS) system if OneNote or Excel can do it?"

Yes, some in our scientific community have adopted the note-taking software OneNote (and other Microsoft programs like Excel) for data acquisition, presentation, sharing, and more.¹ Some even prefer the functionalities of OneNote to ELNs designed for laboratory environments.²

For the basic functions, you may prefer OneNote, but if you need to optimise your laboratory processes or ensure compliance in several different regulatory environments as you scale and move into biotech or pharma manufacturing, then please read on to learn why OneNote is not an adequate solution for biotech start-ups, academic institutions, or even larger biotechs, CROs or pharmaceutical companies.

In the blog below, we’ll show why you might prefer an ELN dedicated to the scientific process over OneNote and save you from future data migration or compliance challenges.

1. Scientific-Specific Features

ELNs are designed with scientific research in mind, offering specialised features tailored to laboratory workflows. They often include functionalities such as experimental templates, structured data entry, integration with other laboratory software and instructions, metadata capture, and data analysis capabilities. These features are essential for effectively organising and analysing scientific data, which may not be present or as comprehensive in OneNote. Microsoft offers templates for the note-taking program; however, these take additional effort to implement and tailor for specific scientific applications. With an ELN dedicated to science, there is a framework built around the storage, retrieval, and sharing of protocols, samples, data, metadata, and more.

2. Regulatory Compliance

Biotech research often involves compliance with regulatory guidelines, such as Good Laboratory or Manufacturing Practices (GLP / GMP) and 21 CFR Part 11. Electronic lab notebooks are specifically developed to meet these regulatory requirements, offering features like electronic signatures, data versioning, audit trails, and controlled access permissions. These compliance-focused features are essential for ensuring data integrity and meeting regulatory standards. These are lacking in OneNote and require customisation or workarounds (e.g., there is no electronic signature capability in OneNote).

3. Data Organization and Search

ELNs provide structured data organisation, allowing you to categorise and tag experiments, samples, and related information. This structured approach enables efficient data search, retrieval, and cross-referencing, making it easier to find specific experiments or data points. OneNote offers basic organisation features but does not provide the same level of flexibility and search capabilities specific to scientific research.

4. Collaboration and Teamwork

Biotech research often involves collaboration among internal team members and with external partners. Electronic lab notebooks offer collaboration features that facilitate real-time collaboration, data sharing, and commenting within the context of specific experiments or projects. ELNs allow multiple users to work simultaneously, track changes, and maintain a complete record of collaboration activities. While OneNote does support collaboration, it may not provide the same granularity and integration with laboratory workflows as ELNs. For instance, OneNote doesn’t allow sharing a single entry, so if you need to share one section with an external collaborator, you’ll need to start a new ELN with just the entries you want to share in them.

5. Integration with Laboratory Instruments and Software

ELNs can often integrate with laboratory instruments and other scientific software tools. This integration allows direct data transfer from instruments to the ELN, eliminating manual transcription and reducing the chances of errors. It also enables seamless integration with bioinformatics tools, data analysis platforms, and research data management systems. Two great examples of this at eLabNext are with Implen NanoPhotometer and Elemental Machines temperature (humidity, pressure, and light) monitoring for your samples. On the other hand, OneNote does not offer the same level of integration and interoperability with scientific instruments and software (at the time of writing this article, August 2023).

6. Data Security and Intellectual Property Protection

ELNs typically provide advanced data security measures, including user authentication, access controls, encryption, and secure cloud storage options. These security features are essential for protecting sensitive research data and intellectual property. While OneNote offers some security features, ELNs are specifically designed with data protection in mind and may provide more robust security measures for scientific research data. eLabnext is ISO 27001 accredited and is the most secure laboratory software on the market today.

Why Use Software Designed For a Different Task…

…when eLabNext’s ELN is specifically designed for the life science laboratory? Microsoft OneNote is a practical, general-purpose note-taking application.

However, ELNs offer specialised features and capabilities specifically designed for scientific research workflows and compliance requirements.

Would you use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail?

Let the note-taking programs be used for note-taking, and the ELNs, for streamlining the life sciences.

If your biotech start-up focuses on laboratory research, data management, collaboration, and regulatory compliance, an ELN is a more suitable choice than OneNote.

Why not request a free 30-day trial of eLabNext’s digital lab platform today and try it yourself? Together, we can uncover the benefits above and many, many more!

References:
1. Guerrero S, López-Cortés A, García-Cárdenas JM, et al. A quick guide for using Microsoft OneNote as an electronic laboratory notebook. PLOS Comput Biol. 2019;15(5):e1006918. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006918
2. Guerrero S, Dujardin G, Cabrera-Andrade A, et al. Analysis and Implementation of an Electronic Laboratory Notebook in a Biomedical Research Institute. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(8):e0160428. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160428

Philadelphia, PA - With a moniker like “Cellicon Valley,” exceptional academic institutions, a skilled workforce, and steadily growing infrastructure, it’s no surprise that Philadelphia was recently ranked as the #5 life science hub in the U.S. One component supporting Philadelphia’s growing and active biotech community is the lab and office space, essential for providing a physical place that fosters the growth of the many promising startups in the community. 

With all the excitement around the growth of the scientific community in the City of Brotherly Love, the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) opened a coworking wet lab space to give scrappy startups a place to let their auspicious ideas flourish. 

“What’s special about CIC’s space in Philly is that it accommodates early-stage scientists with passion and data to support their ideas,” says Kelsey Henderson, the Lab Development Lead at CIC. “We enable them to come in and rent a single bench on flexible terms, have it for a month, and focus on raising capital to expand their operations.”

CIC’s approach has been incredibly successful, allowing CIC to provide adjustable support to pre-seed companies, several of which have grown from a few benches to a private lab space of over 35 lab benches. This philosophy extends to CIC’s other locations as well: With coworking spaces located in biotech hubs around the globe – including Boston, Cambridge, Providence, St. Louis, Miami, Tokyo, Rotterdam, and Warsaw – CIC operates to provide their innovators with the maximum chance to impact the life sciences and the many other industries CIC serves.

Providing Support for the Next-Generation of Life Science Companies

But physical space is only part of the equation for the companies that CIC serves. 

“A lot of our clients are academic spinouts,” explains Kelsey, “so it's a big step for them to start in a new co-working or private lab space. We’ve organised our labs to provide scientists with things to help them and accelerate their progress.” 

That includes various amenities, including an in-house lab management team that handles equipment and consumables ordering, regular lab coat and facilities cleaning, hazardous waste disposal, and many others. In addition, CIC provides an extensive collection of shared molecular and cell biology equipment – including flow cytometers, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), cell sorters and separators, tissue culture facilities, ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers, digital PCR (dPCR) platforms, and various cell imaging platforms – available for unmetered use. This enables startups to access vital equipment without raising the capital to purchase it.

“We always try to focus on making decisions that support our scientists,” Kelsey shares. “CIC recently doubled the footprint of our physical lab space in Philadelphia because we wanted to accommodate the continued growth of our current cohort.”

Digital Infrastructure that Fosters Growth

Beyond the lab space, shared equipment, and personnel support, many companies need a digital infrastructure to grow and scale efficiently. To help the scientific teams at their Philadelphia site, CIC partnered with eLabNext so that residents could access an all-in-one electronic lab notebook and sample, equipment, and protocol management tools, enabling complete digitalization of a lab.

“We’ve had clients use eLabNext’s digital lab platform at our site before, so we talked to them about how we could best support our community,” says Kelsey. “We worked out a sponsorship agreement so all of our shared wet lab clients can access the software at a discounted rate, allowing them to see how it performs in their workflows and integrates into their SOPs. With our focus on enabling clients’ growth, we wanted to provide them with products that help them do that. Choosing eLabNext’s platform was a no-brainer.”

The eLabNext platform also provides a growing library of add-ons to expand the software's functionality and facilitate startups to tailor it to their needs.

“One of the most attractive features of partnering with CIC was the alignment around the same values: aiding innovation, elevating research, and doing so in a vibrant ecosystem with incentivized programs, says Zareh Zurabyan, Head of eLabNext, Americas. “We know that providing a robust digital lab strategy to a startup will not only set them up for successful fundraising, reproduction of experiments, and data mining, but it will impact their business strategy and facilitate innovation. With all the new amazing artificial intelligence/machine learning advances that are now available, labs want to be able to diversify their tools. We can provide that to them directly with our Digital Lab Platform and our eLabMarketplace. These are very exciting times, and we are excited to work with all the CIC labs!” 

Philadelphia's reputation as a thriving life science hub is well-deserved, and the CIC has played, and will continue to play, a significant role in supporting the growth of the city's biotech community through physical and digital infrastructure.

To learn more about Philadalphia’s growing life science sector, visit cic.com.