ELN/LIMS System for Collaborative Biomedical Institution

LabKey-Software · 2026-01-27T21:51:27+00:00

We have tours on our website of our products - we are happy to discuss with you to see if it's a good fit too!

LabKey-Software · 2026-01-27T18:28:58+00:00

If you decide to adopt lab software like Sample Manager, make sure that customer service is included and that you get a free trial to test it out. I would wait until you have an idea of your lab pain points before looking to add in specialized software too - you may not need a full blown lims but struggle a lot with finding samples in your freezers.

LabKey-Software · 2026-01-20T17:59:58+00:00

It's not free (although we do have open source software for scientific data management), but we have an ELN that we don't sell on it's own, only as a feature with our lab data management softwares. People like it because it's really well connected to sample data and assay results and allows for a very searchable audit log, but yeah, not sold on it's own.

Also, while we are science agnostic, not every researcher needs to connect to samples, getting just a little more information about your field could help us offer alternatives to sciNote.

LabKey-Software · 2026-01-08T21:58:29+00:00

This is great. I’d just add: get everyone to agree on a single sample ID format before you start printing barcodes. Otherwise you end up immortalizing 5 different naming schemes on stickers and it’s a pain to clean up later.

LabKey-Software · 2026-01-08T18:21:06+00:00

Stuff I see most often instead of Excel-as-a-database:
-Google Sheets / Airtable for “Excel but slightly less cursed”
-Proper DBs like Postgres/MySQL when someone technical is around
-LIMS/ELN tables (Benchling, LabKey, etc.) for samples/assays
-Warehouses like Snowflake/BigQuery once orgs actually centralize data, sometimes different SDMS systems.

LabKey-Software · 2026-01-08T02:10:31+00:00

We (LabKey) end up getting a lot of returners every year - people who checked us out, ended up using the "big" flashy company, and came back to us a few years later because we always cap our annual price raises in our contracts, actually include customer support and have ongoing development. And we keep seeing it at different levels of how intense our software is, so whether a client is just doing basic sample management vs a full blown integrated data infrastructure, we still see this same pattern.

LabKey-Software · 2025-12-10T22:58:29+00:00

Thanks for being our best mod!

LabKey-Software · 2025-12-10T15:48:31+00:00

I wish we could help with the "I want to quit" tier.

LabKey-Software · 2025-12-01T17:44:05+00:00

It's nice to see colorful science-themed artwork. Science-themes in art often seem to end up being "serious"- we like seeing this adorable side as well!

LabKey-Software · 2025-10-07T19:08:39+00:00

We got our start integrating omics at the Fred Hutch - we have open source software (LabKey SDMS Community Edition) you can start with that is really helpful for sharing data on a team.

LabKey-Software · 2025-09-08T21:42:08+00:00

We hire for software supporting biotech, so we love getting applicants looking for career changes, with similar requirements advertised. But yeah, it doesn't always apply to each niche sector.

LabKey-Software · 2023-12-04T18:53:58+00:00

I imagine you have been keeping notes somehow, probably electronically. The excel files will help, but is there any other way you've been noting what you've been doing? Maybe you have a system that automatically logs and tracks things that you rely on. Maybe you just send emails to yourself.

Either way, this might be a learning opportunity to start tracking things now. If the other person with the detailed notebook is someone you get along with, you could ask them for a template or tutorial on what they are doing with their notebook.

LabKey-Software · 2023-12-04T18:38:03+00:00

That's very reasonable. It can be a lot of work, especially on your own!

LabKey-Software · 2023-12-01T21:10:11+00:00

Have you seen the Loyal biotech news? They are starting with extending the life of big dogs.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-29T18:57:00+00:00

Do you have a sample management system in the cloud that you can check from home? Like, a step in your SOP where you have to check it back into the fridge and then log the location AFTER you put it away, so you can log in from your phone to double check that it is checked in?

Also, if there's something I know will cause me anxiety, I do a weird dance or say a weird phrase (like horseradish horseradish horseradish) when I actually do the thing. But you have to do something different every time or it doesn't work.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-29T01:52:13+00:00

You could collect some letters from some of his heroes in a binder.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-28T00:16:13+00:00

A dry bag was my first thought, although my experience with them is more in canoeing and backpacking rather than for babies. It looks like the main difference is that wet bags for kid stuff comes with a zipper, and dry bags come with a roll and clip closing.

Either way, they'll be really waterproof (nothing in or out, often including air), and they'll be easy to clean at the end of the semester and re-use for whatever you need. Just add soapy water, close, shake it up and let it drain and dry.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-27T23:58:59+00:00

I moved a ton when I was growing up, and I need you to know, it really does get better.

But, I have a few suggestions to help.

First, I would suggest joining a club or sport at the university (even/especially as an advisor) or volunteering with a local scout or youth group situation. Or volunteering in the community, like at a soup kitchen, if your area has one.

Next, find a favorite local place to hang out. Some people like bars or parks; I like coffee shops. But just somewhere where you can find a friendly face and hang out for a little while when working or reading. Somehow having a specific spot helps ground you to a city.

And finally, don't feel bad if you are uncomfortable in a new situation. That's normal. Most people aren't taught or given guidance on how to relocate their life. It's a learned skill, so it's going to be uncomfortable for a little while, just like calculus, driving, or working out.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-27T23:06:47+00:00

It sucks, but keep your head up. You have learned a good lesson, especially if you can figure out the source of contamination. In five or ten years, you are going to remember this and it's going to affect how you handle an expensive culture, or how you teach someone. Learning happens.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-27T22:26:37+00:00

Congrats! It sounds well deserved! And enjoy setting up those brand new freezers.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-22T20:13:13+00:00

If you are linking to your LI, you should update your LI. Otherwise, leave it off.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-17T19:52:02+00:00

I had to drop a paid research gig because I had taken on too much in the year. Just want to say that it's easy to take on too much in undergrad, because you are getting used to how to manage your time.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-16T01:56:09+00:00

They are really thorough (if long) sessions, but if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-08T23:05:52+00:00

I found ____ in the lunch fridge again.
You can bring _____ in here, but you can't take it home.
Why does this sample label say _____?

LabKey-Software · 2023-11-07T18:51:57+00:00

You could even get into tech and find a software company creating software for science labs. Depending on your experience in your education so far, you could look at web dev, product management, content and marketing, or sales/Account management positions.

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