Who uses LabKey?

LabKey powers core research labs at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Harvard University, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the University of Washington, the University of Michigan, Duke University, the Systems Biomedical Research Institute, among many others.

Who builds LabKey?

LabKey software is designed by the researchers who use it, working in collaboration with professional software developers. Many, but not all, of the developers work for LabKey Corporation based in Seattle at FHCRC.

When will the next version be released?

Approximate release dates can be found in our release schedule.

Who owns the software?

Whomever contributes source code to the project maintains ownership of their code and signifies ownership via copyright notice in the source code files. Each contributor grants a perpetual transferable license to their work to the LabKey Software Foundation (www.labkey.org) under terms of the Apache Software License. LabKey.org, an independent, not-for-profit organization, then re-licenses all the source code to third parties under the same terms at no charge. LabKey.org is governed by its members, and membership is open to individuals who contribute to the software's success.

Why use the Apache License?

The Apache License is a broadly used, commerce-friendly open source license that provides maximum flexibility to consumers and contributors alike. In particular, you may modify Apache-licensed code and redistribute or resell the resulting work without being required to release your modifications to open source.

How can I get involved?

There are many ways to get involved with the project. Researchers can download and evaluate the software. You can join community forums for Proteomics, Flow Cytometry, and Study. Java Developers can enlist in the project, set up the build environment, and join the Developers Center. Foundations and government funding agencies can sponsor future development. Software vendors can develop proprietary modules. Instrument vendors are free to bundle, extend, and relicense or resell the software.

Who funds LabKey's development?

LabKey has been built under contract with FHCRC, NCI, The Canary Foundation, Duke University, NAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Immune Tollerance Network, the University of Washington, and others. In most cases funding agencies sponsor investigators using ordinary granting mechanisms, and the investigators contract with LabKey Corporation to extend the software to meet their lab's needs. Most extensions are then bundled into the core distribution and relicensed for free with source code back to the community.

What language is the software written in?

The software is written in Java and runs on most modern operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Mac OSX. It can be customized and extended by skilled Java programmers.

How mature is the software?

First deployed in 2005, the system is in heavy production use and under active development. New versions are released about 4 times per year. Existing installations can be upgraded in place to new versions. Scientific modules generally evolve through a 4-phase life cycle: design development, single-lab deployment, limited multi-lab deployment, and production release.

How is the software constructed?

The system includes a set of core shared services such as security, web-based user interface, and relational database access. Independent modules provide scientific functionality for proteomics, flow cytometry analysis, and observational study management. New modules including Elisa, Luminex and NAb. Others are planned.

How much does it cost?

All source code distributed from this web site is free. Third-parties can provide binary distributions with or without modifications under any terms that are consistent with the Apache Software license, including for sale. LabKey Corporation provides binary distributions for free and with commercial support. Developers interested in building from source or creating new modules should visit the Developer Center.

What equipment do I need to run LabKey?

LabKey acts as a web server and relies on a relational database server. It can be installed and run on a stand-alone PC, but is most commonly deployed in production in a networked server environment. Single laboratory installations can be run on a single dedicated computer. Core proteomics facilities use LabKey to manage cluster pipelines with hundreds of machines.

What skills does my lab need to manage the software?

LabKey is server-based software that interacts with other computers on your network. You should plan on identifying personnel to perform two roles: a network administrator and a web master.