Connected Labs - The Power and Potential of an Electronic Lab Notebook
For centuries of scientific research, the meticulously kept handwritten lab notebook has been a cornerstone of the discovery process. For generations, new scientists entering a lab have been trained in responsible lab notebook etiquette in an effort to ensure complete and defensible records of experiments and important findings. Complete records are essential for tracking research, publishing data, and maintaining regulatory and GMP compliance. In the case that a body of work ever needs to be defended, having accurate laboratory records in a lab notebook can save researchers a lot of headache and trouble.
A Challenging Charge of a Smart Lab
Despite the significance of the lab notebook, many research groups struggle with keeping staff trained, consistent, and compliant with their lab notebook entries. As the world and the lab grow more connected, traditional methods of recording experiments in physical lab notebooks are becoming increasingly obsolete. Lab staff may find handwriting entries redundant and cumbersome when they’re also required to enter data points and findings in a computer or the tools they use only provide digital outputs.
GMP and GDP Compliance - The Digital Future
As technologies like sample barcoding, digital data output, and advanced Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) become more common, electronic lab notebooks have emerged as a potential solution for precise record-keeping. However, in order to ensure complete adoption and utilization, electronic lab notebooks must be simple to use and reduce the effort it takes for lab staff to keep good records. Systems that are complex or require redundant data entry waste time and energy, and are unlikely to succeed in busy labs. Preferably, electronic lab notebooks should be flexible to use around the lab, such as with an iPad that already house’s the lab’s barcoding or LIMS applications.
Today’s laboratories are increasingly connected with smart technology. The ideal electronic lab notebook has the ability to automatically update whenever connected devices are utilized, allowing users to quickly and accurately populate experiment entries. Sample information from barcode scanners and experimental parameters and output from smart instruments automatically populate electronic lab records with the precise information. These tools can even update databases in a LIMS system to accurately track every sample’s location and status. With connected electronic lab notebooks, researchers can easily review exactly what occurred during an experiment from pipetting volume to incubation time and beyond.
Bird’s Eye View of Regulatory Compliance
Beyond accurate record keeping, electronic lab notebooks also offer a unique advantage for lab managers and primary investigators with multiple staff. Gone are the days of lining up every lab member’s notebook to check entries and confirm best practices. With an electronic system, research leaders can easily check lab activity and pull data from multiple lab members at once. Insights from related experiments can be gleaned faster and easier than ever.
Ensure Data Quality for Continuous Validation
A lab is only as good as the quality of its data. With complete digital records, researchers gain powerful insights into how their labs run and the data they are producing. As an integrated part of the connected lab, electronic lab notebooks offer a powerful solution to one of the oldest challenges in research.