Sample tracking features for a more organized and productive lab.

Sample Timeline provides a comprehensive look into the chain of custody of the sample in one easy place. Users can easily see and analyze events for a sample- starting with when (time and date) a sample was registered and by whom (user).  Also tracked and viewable on the timeline are any metadata changes, assays performed, and the addition of a sample to a particular workflow job.

Tracking the sources of a sample can help lab managers understand the broader picture of the data in the system. A sample can be mapped to one or more Sources, which may include both physical sources (labs, vendors, locations, studies) and biological sources (patients, mice, cell lines, trees). For instance, multiple types of sample might be taken from a single source subject, i.e. blood and urine from the same mouse. Similarly, each sample might have multiple sources, such as a blood sample from a certain patient,  lab, and during participation in a specific study. If that patient were part of other studies, or changed which lab they visited to submit samples, tracking sources would provide additional context to your data.

Sample Manager provides three options for easily importing assay data: File Upload, Copy/Paste and Grid Data Entry. During the import process, the assay run fields may also request details from the user to accompany the data being imported. Once imported, users can view the associated assay data from the samples detail page.

Once you have created a Sample Type, you can generate new samples in various ways depending on the needs of your lab. Import an existing inventory spreadsheet, create the samples individually, or generate similar samples in bulk. The Sample Type provides a framework for entering data that describes samples of that type. Sample heritage information can be added for each sample to accurately track sample lineage.

Each sample in the system is required to have a unique name/id within its sample type. If prior to the sample creation/import process, your samples do not already have a unique ID, the system can generate them upon import using a naming pattern. Administrators can customize name generation using templates that build a unique name from elements such as text, incrementing numbers, random numbers, dates, and other values from the imported data.

From the start of the sample import/creation process, you can generate parentage relationships indicating sample lineage. The lineage graph allows you to explore a visual representation of the parentage of samples while the lineage grid can be especially helpful when viewing lengthy lineages or derivation histories.