What is ELNDocSend App?

ELNDocSend App allows you to send your paper annotations, notebook pages or other pictures directly to LabCollector Electronic Lab Notebook in a few clicks. With this app you can simply take photos, edit them, take notes and send them to ELN add-on. A lot of options are available with the version 3.0.

Make everything digital in few steps

Connect your app

You can find the application directly on the Google Play Store by typing “labcollector”. You will find all the applications developed and usable with LabCollector LIMS (view our catalog). Select and install ELNDocSend.

The application must then be connected to the ELN LabCollector. To do this, you need to configure the LabCollector API. Everything can be done very easily thanks to our step by step guide.

Step 1: Take a picture

Take a picture with the camera of your mobile phone or with a PDA in one click. The ELNDocSend v3.0 application is directly connected to the camera app of your phone, allowing you to access all its innate features.

Step 1: Edit the picture

The application connects to all your editing applications on your phone. If you have for example Google Photos, the application will propose you to edit your image directly in this application. Multiple features are then available: crop, adjust brightness, contrast, blur… the catalog of filters can also be used!

Step 3 & 4: Scan & Send to ELN

Send the photos in a few clicks! Choose the book, the experiment and finally the page where you want to send your document. You can do it manually or by scanning a simple QR Code present at the top of the page. Your document will be visible a few seconds after sending directly on the selected ELN page.

Stop losing time, make everything digital!

You like paper notes and having illustrations of your experiments in your ELN but it’s often a considerable waste of time to add all this to your ELN. Thanks to the ease of use of the ELNDocSend application, everything is faster and easier. Update your Electronic Lab Notebook with old documents from paper lab notebooks, add your notes from an experiment without having to transcribe everything and add all pictures you want and need! Extend the possibilities, make everything digital!

Any researcher knows how time-consuming and difficult it can be to present their work in the best possible way. This is applicable for multiple cases. Specially, when you have to create a creative but clear diagram, graphics, results for meetings, seminars, poster sessions, etc.

Moreover, sometimes it is necessary to create infographics or presentations, but having to manage the design, creativity, and assembly of the elements, can quickly become complicated.

To make this task more enjoyable and time-saving for all scientists, students, teachers, or even lab managers, LabCollector LIMS has partnered with Mind the Graph. By integrating their platform directly into LabCollector, all LabCollector Electronic Lab Notebook users can access this tool quickly and create communication tools easily.

To take it a step further, Mind the Graph has developed a new tool called “Like Magic” Poster Maker to take poster creation to a whole new level! As a LabCollector user, you can now use this new tool directly from ELN.

LabCollector Electronic Lab Notebook & Poster Maker “Like Magic”

LabCollector ELN is a full-fledged solution (LabCollector + ELN add-on), allowing scientists to take advantage of modules for managing samples, reagents and supplies, equipment, etc. with the addition of the Electronic Lab Notebook add-on. This powerful add-on allows to document, share and classify the experiments performed in a secure way. Read more here.

The Poster Maker is a new tool created by the Mind the Graph team to help scientists create beautiful scientific posters effortlessly.

1. How it works?

The tool is designed to retrieve information directly from a published article and create the right layout for the poster based on the article’s content.

It is quick and easy to use in few simple steps!

1. Download the PDF of the article or fill in the link.
2. The tool reads the entire article and fills in all the fields. Changes can be made where ever necessary.
3. Change the order of the parts, add personal images or images from the Mind the Graph library.
4. Your work is done! The poster is ready as if by magic!

For more information on how “Like Magic” Poster Maker works, visit the Mind the Graph website or watch the video now!

2. Integration in ELN

If you are using LabCollector ELN, you can access the Poster Maker platform directly from the ELN add-on!

In fact, fully integrated with LabCollector LIMS, you can manage and create your designs without ever having to leave LabCollector, where all your data and information is stored.

The Mind the Graph platform is displayed directly after clicking on the icon in the Content field.
The basic tool is free but subscriptions are available to meet everyone’s needs.

Read our Knowledge Base page to learn more.

Your scientific creations ready within minutes!

Take your research to another level!

In a word, simplify the creation of infographics, posters, or scientific presentations with Mind the Graph while managing your research content efficiently with LabCollector Electronic Lab Notebook!

In a laboratory, it is often necessary to search for information, data, results that we would have written in our laboratory notebook or in a document on our computer. This mission is often complex, long and time consuming. By using a LIMS, all the data is centralized in one place and thus makes it easier to find certain information. However, even if the data is correctly classified and easily accessible, the search can sometimes be complicated if you don’t know where to look.

Thus, in a perspective of continuous improvement of the user experience and specially to make this thankless and time-consuming task easier and faster, a new add-on for LabCollector has been developed. This add-on, named Advanced Search Manager, allows the use of Elasticsearch to find data and information in all types of sources within LabCollector.

What is Elasticsearch?

Elasticsearch is a real search engine! Its goal is to centralize all the data and to ensure an ultra-fast search but above all an increased relevance of the results provided. Data search becomes child’s play!

Whether your data is structured or unstructured, it is possible to launch several types of searches thanks to a multitude of search criteria association possibilities. Thanks to Elasticsearch, it is possible to search for all types of data, numerical, textual, geographic data, etc.

The data are regularly indexed by Elasticsearch in order to find the right information at the right time. The indexing interval is configurable and allows to regularly update the modifications made, thus increasing the reliability and acuity of the searches.

Visit Elasticsearch website to learn more!

Advanced Search Manager and Elasticsearch

The Advanced Search Manager add-on has been developed in order to manage the connection of Elasticsearch within LabCollector. As explained previously, Elasticsearch performs a regular indexing of the data. It is thus possible thanks to the LabCollector add-on to manage the CRON indexing lists (command to an operating system or a server allowing the execution of a job at a precise moment) allowing to establish the frequency of the indexing task.

A. How to install Elasticsearch?

In order to guarantee the best solution, Elasticsearch can be installed in several possible ways:

• Locally: on the client server directly
• Remotely: on the client’s server or on a server rented by the client
• Directly on AgileBio servers
• Elastic SaaS: possibility to use Elasticsearch cloud service but also Amazon Web Service.

B. How to integrate Elasticsearch into LabCollector? 

In order to allow the integration and use of Elasticsearch into LabCollector, it is necessary to use an intermediary to make the connection. An add-on called Advanced Search Manager has been developed to manage the connection between LabCollector and Elasticsearch.

The add-on is already available for download and can be installed on your LabCollector. The add-on, easy to install, allows you to manage the connection to Elasticsearch and the CRON indexing lists (Cron is a standard Unix utility that is used to schedule commands for automatic execution at specific intervals.) (see pictures below). In simple terms, this automatic indexing makes it possible to organize a set of documents and later facilitate the search for content in this indexed documents.

Read our Knowledge Base and follow the steps to install the add-on.

When your add-on is correctly installed, the connection with Elasticsearch is established and allows access to the advanced search within LabCollector and more precisely ELN (deployment on other add-ons and LabCollector to come).

Contact us to discuss about dedicated Elasticsearch service

Advanced Search and Electronic Lab Notebook

The implementation of Elasticsearch thanks to the Advanced Search Manager add-on includes several development phases. First, this advanced search solution was deployed within Electronic Lab Notebook.

As a reminder, ELN is an add-on allowing you to register, manage and save all your laboratory data, your experiments and your results. Acting like a real laboratory notebook but electronic, all the daily information is incorporated into it and therefore needs to be easily found.

Thanks to the new advanced search, it is now possible to find precise information of any kind, present in the add-on in an extremely fast time.

• The search fields

Many fields are available to make the search more precise and therefore more efficient. It is possible to search within the different levels of ELN (book, experiment, page). Other fields such as the name of the document, the name of the author or the tag filter allow you to refine your search and obtain results that precisely meet your requirements.

• Display of results

The results are presented as individual boxes containing the search item(s). Several pieces of information are also provided in order to easily find the source of the information such as the name of the book, the experience or the page.

A score is also assigned to each result. This score shows the relevance of the result. Before starting to score the documents, Elasticsearch first reduces the candidate documents by applying a Boolean test: does the document correspond to the request? True or False. Once the results that correspond to the request are retrieved, the score they receive will determine their ranking according to their relevance. The rating of a document is determined based on the results obtained in the fields of the query and any additional configuration applied to the search.

• Toolbox: Tag management

Another option is also available to manage the tags of several elements at the same time. A Toolbox allows you to select the desired results and add one or more tags to these pages. This option saves a considerable amount of time in tag management and adds an additional search criterion for future searches.

… Find the answer in no time!

This new Advanced Search Manager add-on is ideal for performing accurate, fast and data-intensive searches. You no longer have to search for minutes or even hours to find the information, graph or calculation you need, just ask for an answer!

This Advanced Search is currently available in ELN but will soon be available in other add-ons and on the whole LabCollector.

Search everything and everywhere thanks to Advanced Search Manager add-on!

To help set up LabCollector v6.02 please refer to our Manuals and our Knowledgebase.

Credit: Freepik

Data reproducibility is one of the most important aspects of any research. If you are a drug discovery unit, data integrity & regulatory compliance are of utmost importance. Paper Lab notebooks can only help you with the data reproducibility & integrity to an extent.

Imagine you are a researcher and most of the time you work on a project that was the continuation of the previous one. For this, you refer to the lab notebooks of previous students in order to reproduce certain experiments. I bet, many of you have come across various issues when dealing with the old lab notebooks. How much time does it take you to find the right experiment? Do you find the complete information in the lab notebooks? What is the storage location of the samples? How were the reagents prepared? Let’s say you are a Principal Investigator (PI) and you are trying to publish a paper with results from a student who have left the institute. How much time does it take to find the results? How long does it take for you to leaf through endless pages to find that one image/information for results? Even though after hours/days of searching let’s say you find the results and now you are looking for material and methods. So now you have to find where the reagents came from? where were did the samples came from their location, the antibodies used? and much more information!!! Sometimes the writing is smudged because some liquid splashed on it during a certain experiment. Also, you do not know where the raw data/images are kept. Today’s lab notebook contains some information and the rest is stored somewhere in the computer in bits and pieces!

So publishing a single paper or just trying to repeat a simple experiment from the past becomes a laborious task! Finding information becomes time-consuming, reducing the productivity of the research. All the hard work done in the past & the scientific knowledge with it becomes incoherent. These issues make the data reproducibility, integrity a tough thing to achieve. Even though using paper lab notebooks have been the norm of the past, today they pose a lot of hurdles due to deterioration with time.

This is why LabCollector has developed Electronic Notebook (ELN) to provide you with versatility and at the same time precision, in recording your experiments. You can not only save paper, time and energy but also increase work productivity. All-in-one management ELN brings your entire lab in one place in an organized manner. You can link your reagent recipes, samples, the storage location of samples and reagents, any documents (e.g. Scientific papers, protocols, etc.), information regarding plasmids, antibodies, chemical structures, animals, sequences, equipment, cells & uploading/storing images along with your protocols. ELN today not only makes your research ergonomic but also environment-friendly by saving paper.

Now, let’s revisit the previous scenario with LabCollector ELN. Say you are a PI or a researcher and you are trying to replicate some results or find results, experiments & raw data from previously performed experiments. All you have to do is type in the search box and all the information related to the typed word will appear in front of you.

Moreover, you will see that:

 Imagine how much time you save if was everything was organized in the above-said way. All this and much more is made realistic by our LabCollector ELN. Check out how LabCollector ELN works!!!

The diversity of the functions in LabCollector ELN makes it apt for any type of research. Let it be academic, drug discovery research or a medical device research LabCollector provides you with all-in-one management ELN.

With LabCollector ELN you can go paperless &:

• Link records to the protocols (link samples, reagents, storage locations, documents, primers, etc.)
• Write protocols using a rich text editor
• Draw chemistry molecules effortlessly using Molecules and Reactions editor
• Upload & store photos easily
• Choose what you need to print & save paper
• Make work easier by using templates
• Collaborate & work as a team with easy data exchange 
• Assistance in complying with the regulatory bodies (FDA, ISO.., HIPAA, etc) by electronic signatures, witnessing, validations, timestamps, versioning & login ID security.
• Save your work efficiently by synchronized data backup
• Measure productivity & increase efficiency by using Time sheets

Image Credits:

–Whole-cell, multicolor superresolution imaging using volumetric multifocus microscopy; Bassam Hajj et al PNAS Dec 2014, 111 (49) 17480-17485; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1412396111; France
-Actomyosin, vimentin and LINC complex pull on osteosarcoma nuclei to
deform on micropillar topography; Nayana.T. W et al Biomaterials; CNRS-IS2M, France
–Icons from www.flaticon.com

1. Why adopt a paperless laboratory?

Nowadays, most scientists still keep experimental records on paper notes, paper notebooks, and sometimes using some informatics tools like Excel, Word, Power Points files… Each one stored in different folders and computers. Still relying on the head of the lab or key staff to look where to search for that information… This unstructured way to keep your lab information leads to time consuming tasks and even loss of information across time!

This is far from being a new issue: a report published in European Pharmaceutical Review in 2015 reported that over the past 10 years, one of the biggest challenges in R&D is “to find the information when I need it”!

Decisions taken are based on lab information, hence having a reliable system to serve as your lab information repository can enable you to make better and faster decisions.

An article published in Scientific Computing in 2004 based on client cases lists the main goals of the adopters of a paperless laboratory:

Faster data manipulation of digital data
Increasing efficiency: by sharing data more easily and quickly
Speeding samples throughput: from electronic data entry in real time to automated data acquisition
Regulatory compliance
Reduced costs: doing the same work with fewer resources, or more work with the same resources

2. What are the differences between ELN and LIMS?

Confusion is often made between lab information management software (LIMS) and the electronic notebook (ELN). Scientists see the immediate value of an ELN to search and document their experiments which helps them tracking and sharing their experiments. Lab heads can manage and follow more efficiently the current projects in the lab, which are accessible online and shared among colleagues. It is when researchers start using an ELN that they see the need of a LIMS, to recall their samples, reagents, chemicals and be able to find them even after being for years. It is not only important to annotate your experiments but also to build in the lab a collaborative network of shared resources, as well as having a full traceability of your research activities.

A properly managed inventory will: increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the laboratory, because it will provide an uninterrupted flow of needed materials and ensure products are available when they are required. This is also in compliance with ISO standards. Even in pure R&D labs, new quality standards are pushing into more structured information.

To meet regulatory compliance and really benefit from a real increased efficiency an ELN cannot exist without a LIMS. To meet the best of both worlds it is important to assess a system having an ELN with built-in a LIMS/inventory.

A LIMS together with an ELN is a more stable, searchable and sharable way to manage any information in a lab. An all-in-one solution is the wat.

3. A Step by Step Implementation

Michael Elliott, chief executive officer of Atrium Research & Consulting, clearly points out important features when choosing a LIMS in an article published in Science “Clients want scalability, a user-friendly interface, and outstanding global support”, he also talks about product transparency “However, products vary in these capabilities, don’t choose based on a presentation or brand name. Think carefully about your needs now and in the future”. So, a scalable system is key as your needs can grow in the future, and changing from a system to another would be a loss of time and money. The other point is the transparency of products; a presentation of a system without a real experience can be very deceiving.

By choosing a scalable system, you can start implementing today! A customizable LIMS/ELN can be implemented quickly with higher rate of adoption than waiting years for the development of a rigid system to be ready, using a big bang approach. A step by step approach allows users to see the benefits of a LIMS/ELN and slowly integrating the LIMS in their lab daily life.

A customizable LIMS/ELN such as LabCollector offers the possibility to adapt your entry data, your inventory modules, in addition to the basic frame of the LIMS, scale up your users at any time and you can choose the supplementary modules you need. Examples of these modules are the ELN, Data Logger (sensors Tracking), WorkFlow to set up jobs from repetitive procedures in the lab (e.g. next gene sequencing protocols) to clinical trials workflows or even modules based on client services like the Lab Service Manager, or the Sequencing Service Manager for NGS labs.

4. Full Automated Workspace

Imagine a world where scientists annotate their experiments with their tablets or iPads simultaneously keeping records. Reagents, samples and instruments with unique IDs labelled with barcodes allowing you to de-stock digitally, you can find quickly the information about a sample or box without any ambiguity. Knowing exactly what is in your inventory and where. A fully automated system to simplify research by capturing experimental details in an easy and efficient manner with the automatic retrieval of results from your analytical equipment’s to the right sample record in your database? Well, this world has finally arrived…

Several labs have moved to this digital era finding the efficiency, regulation compliancy they were looking for. Laurent Boulanger, Engineer at the French Agronomic Institute (INRA) lab has implemented LabCollector since 2010 says “I just have one piece of advice to give: Don’t just think about where to store your samples, but also where to find them in the future. If you use the database and the electronic lab notebook (ELN), you will have a very effective tool to follow your experiments, the samples generated and where they are stored.”

5. Changing minds

Trying to change an old lab management system can be tough and facing installed routine and conservative minds is challenging. The best way to make a change is to just try! Use the free version of LabCollector and try it in your lab (in parallel with your existing system). The results might be enough to convince all your team!

Time invested today will help gain quality results, professional and personal satisfaction, and peer recognition.

Everyone in the laboratory is responsible for quality performance:

– Laboratory leaders and managers must commit to meeting quality needs.

– Laboratory personnel must follow all quality assurance procedures and adhere to requirements and standards.

The time of digital labs has come. Electronic notebooks and online data are the new rule for efficient work on the bench.

LabCollector, first developed for Life Science applications, is an extensive solution to manage any R&D lab activities. LabCollector is an all-in-one solution with all the features needed in a modern laboratory, adapting to a simple usage to complexes workflows with equipment integration. It is also fully suitable to any type of lab, from research to analytical and diagnostic labs. LabCollector has 650 clients worldwide, being able to support and scale up organizations needs from start-ups to medium and large organizations.

For those who want to try LabCollector, you can download the FREE VERSION here. Perfect opportunity to try it and ultimately keep using it!