June 13, 2025
About LabKey
Why Managing Biological Sample Storage Is So Hard (and So Necessary)
Biological sample storage can already be a problem when you’re working in one location. But add a second site—or a long-distance collaborator—and suddenly the questions multiply: Where is the sample stored? What does the ID mean? Is it logged the same way we do it here?
These small inconsistencies quickly scale into big obstacles. Misaligned naming conventions, disconnected sample tracking tools, and undocumented freezer changes lead to duplicate samples, lost inventory, and compliance gaps.
Labs and biobanks working across multiple sites need more than physical storage—they need shared practices and systems that keep everyone on the same page. Synchronization isn’t about doing everything the same way; it’s about making your differences interoperable and your data traceable, no matter where it comes from.
Five Ways Multi-Site Labs Stay Synchronized on Sample Storage Management
You don’t have to solve everything overnight, but investing in the right lab software can make coordination far easier—and far more reliable. A centralized sample management system helps biobanks build shared visibility, enforce consistency, and scale operations across multiple sites without reinventing the wheel. These five strategies are how real labs and biobanks make multi-site sample storage work:
1. Define Shared Metadata Standards
Before you centralize anything, agree on what you’re tracking. Use common field names and formats across all sites (e.g., “sample ID,” “collection date,” “storage temperature”), or make sure site-specific standards have a 1:1 match at other sites. A shared data dictionary avoids mismatched records later.
2. Assign Sample-Specific Identifiers
Use IDs that travel with the sample—not names tied to a freezer rack or a specific location. That way, your records remain meaningful when samples move between sites or across studies.
3. Build a Central Visibility Layer
Even if each lab keeps local records, make sure there’s a way to see the big picture. Shared spreadsheets can work temporarily. Longer-term, a centralized sample management system provides all users access to consistent, real-time inventory, across every site.
4. Track Changes Automatically
Set up version history, change logs, or user activity tracking—even if it’s simple. The goal is to understand who did what, and when. Centralized systems often make this seamless, reducing the need for manual audits. Look for searchable, filterable audit logs or chain of custody features.
5. Align on Storage and Transfer Protocols
Agree on how samples should be labeled, packed, shipped, and stored. Keep SOPs in a shared location that is easy to update, and revisit them regularly. Consistency in physical handling is just as important as consistency in digital records.
The Payoff: Biological Sample Storage That Makes Collaboration Easy
When multi-site labs and biobanks stay synchronized, everyone benefits:
- Scientists can trust the data.
- Operations teams waste less time reconciling inventories.
- Regulatory submissions are simpler and faster.
Whether you’re just starting to coordinate across sites or looking to scale with confidence, small steps like metadata alignment and visibility dashboards can unlock big improvements. And when you’re ready, adopting the right scientific software solution for sample management helps those improvements stick—ensuring that your data, your teams, and your samples stay in sync.
Choosing the Right Platform for Your Lab
Labs with basic needs may benefit from a sample-focused solution that provides core tracking and storage mapping features without unnecessary complexity. Others—especially highly-regulated labs, like those dealing with Select Agents, or those managing complex workflows—may need a full Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) with built-in support for workflows, compliance, and instrumentation.
Sample Manager is designed for labs looking to improve biological sample storage organization across freezers and teams without the overhead of a full LIMS.
LabKey LIMS provides more advanced software for labs that need end-to-end process control, regulatory support, and integration capabilities across systems.
