LIMS News

The New World of ELNs

2012-02-24T06:28:00.000-08:00

This article in Bio-IT World discusses the changing landscape of the ELN industry, major players and how the lines between an ELN and a LIMS are blurring.

ELN Excellence: The New Lab Notebooks

BioTeam MiniLIMS Available in March 2012

2012-02-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

MARCO ISLAND, Fla., Feb 15, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- BioTeam Inc. announces the availability of BioTeam MiniLIMS for Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM).

MiniLIMS is a powerful Web-based Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) built for scientists who want a cost-effective solution that is fast, simple and flexible. MiniLIMS will be available for direct purchase through Life Technologies WebStore after March 15, 2012.

MiniLIMS is the first independent software solution to connect directly to the Ion Torrent Server. Tight integration permits automated data transfer, speeds data processing, and eliminates many sources of error. MiniLIMS captures NGS workflow processes including sample receipt, sample prep, planned experiments, and results viewing. This agreement expands the Life Technologies-BioTeam collaboration. BioTeam provides extended service and support for the Ion Torrent Server and Suite Software.

"The BioTeam has demonstrated market-leading knowledge of the Torrent Suite Software, that drives primary analysis of semiconductor sequencing, through their extensive work on both the Ion Torrent Grand Challenges and Torrent Server support services. Their practical working knowledge of the underpinnings of the Ion Torrent software makes them a strong choice to consider when choosing a LIMS partner," said Mike Lelivelt, Director of Bioinformatics and Software Products, Ion Torrent.

"Effective data management is an ongoing challenge for NGS users with many still using spreadsheets. MiniLIMS helps PGM users quickly gain improved control of their NGS data and derive more value from their NGS-based activities," said Stan Gloss, Managing Director, BioTeam.

Among MiniLIMS' core capabilities are:

-- Simplified Data Entry. Customize data entry and display -- without programming -- to exactly match your samples, reagents, workflows, and instruments. Data stored in spreadsheets can be quickly and easily uploaded.

-- Automatic Loading of PGM Data. Data is imported from the PGM into MiniLIMS automatically, hyperlinking all the sample, run, and preparation details. Upload your own files, putting all the data you need in one place.

-- Powerful Report Generation. Create custom reports to see the state of your experiments at any time; there are pages that show the history of all data in the system.

The new MiniLIMS Ion Torrent plugin extends MiniLIMS to work with PGM data. Round trip data management allows scientists to plan experiments from MiniLIMS and see results from the PGM load automatically. MiniLIMS can alert users when data appears or pages change. Routine experiments can be configured using templates so a new run can be setup with a few keystrokes. Results can be delivered to users using the same project and sample overview pages that support Bioanalyzer, Nanodrop, or other lab processes. A graphical overview provides a snapshot of recent runs and analyses.

To see the most recent screenshots of MiniLIMS for PGM visit: http://biote.am/73

About BioTeam

BioTeam is a high performance consultancy, serving the needs of the life sciences community since 2002. Our expertise includes cluster computing, large scale data storage, cloud computing, and semantic LIMS development. For more information, please visit http://bioteam.net

SOURCE: BioTeam Inc.

LABVANTAGE 6 Released

2012-02-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

(I am about a month late on this one)

Somerset, NJ. January 18, 2012. LABVANTAGE, which offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for the laboratory, including LIMS, ELN, and business intelligence, announced today the release of LABVANTAGE 6, the world’s most powerful LIMS. Loaded with new features including enhancements to batch management, new event-driven flexibility, advanced instrument integration, and support for both desktop and mobile devices, LABVANTAGE 6 is the culmination of SQL*LIMS, which was acquired from Life Technologies Corporation in 2009, and the legacy LABVANTAGE product lines.
“LABVANTAGE 6 is the result of a unique development project that leveraged decades of diverse laboratory knowledge and experience across many industries,” revealed Jeff Ferguson, LABVANTAGE Chief Executive Officer. “It is not just a marriage of two of the best LIMS in the industry; it is the application of today’s technology to the accumulated requirements of the past two and a half decades.”
The new LABVANTAGE 6 enables organizations to focus on their business while minimizing complexities. Features such as the Navigator, a powerful SQL*LIMS feature now present in LABVANTAGE 6, introduces flexible and dynamic drill down on hierarchical data. For example, combining the LABVANTAGE Viewer with improved batch and genealogy management, identifying root cause and affected batches becomes easier than ever. In addition, LABVANTAGE 6 now provides dynamic field creation, which simplifies the storage of ad-hoc data that may be captured during testing.
LABVANTAGE 6 facilitates LIMS administration and management tasks. LIMS administrators can now maintain system permissions in collections that allows users to dynamically change their role assignments and data filtering. LABVANTAGE 6 streamlines workflow through event-driven alerts and actions by empowering administrators to build conditional logic without using computer code.
This new version continues the paper paradigm to the electronic laboratory notebook (ELN). Using the LABVANTAGE eForms technology, worksheets, laboratory notebook pages, printed instrumentation logs, and questionnaires are all transformed into an electronic format with a look and feel just as familiar as their paper counterparts. The intuitive interface significantly curtails the learning curve required for adopting new software, enabling easier and faster transformation of laboratory data to the paperless environment.
“We engaged customers of both LABVANTAGE and SQL*LIMS product lines since the initial stage of LABVANTAGE 6 development and conducted a thorough gap analysis,” states David Ciabattoni, Sr. Director of Global R&D. “That analysis helped us to prioritize the new features, which were then provided to customers as part of our Early Access program.”
A major research center is one such participant in the Early Access program and expects to go live with their LABVANTAGE 6 system in February 2012. This demonstrates the benefits of the Early Access program, which enables customers to both validate development efforts prior to software release and expedite the adoption of the latest features.
“I’m looking forward to the SQL*LIMS implementation community experiencing the power of the LABVANTAGE Web Page Designer, which can quickly add and modify end-user pages without requiring complex development tools like Oracle Forms,” states Ciabattoni. Ralph Goldberg, R&D Product Manager continues, “For the existing LABVANTAGE customer base, the capabilities added in LABVANTAGE 6 truly complement the features requested by our community over the years.”
Other new LABVANTAGE 6 features include the ability to integrate with Waters Empower systems for a seamless exchange of sample lists and LIMS results. The enhanced toolbar and dynamic search capability with auto-complete improve the user experience. And, with full support for convenient tablet computers and other mobile devices, LABVANTAGE 6 is simultaneously equipped for single-site laboratories, global deployments, and enterprise systems with extended partner organizations.

This entry was posted in Press Release and tagged Advanced Instrument Integration, BI, Connect, ELN, LABVANTAGE 6, LIFE Technologies, LIMS, SAPPHIRE, SQL*LIMS. Bookmark the permalink.

Autoscribe’s Free Guide to Managing a LIMS Project

2012-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

This free guide from Autoscribe will help you through the complex process of implementing a LIMS or Sample Tracking system. Written for individuals and project teams in small laboratories through to enterprise/global operations it provides information that will help you avoid many of the potential problems and pitfalls encountered in the LIMS selection and buying process.
The guide titled “How to buy a LIMS” aims to help anyone who is considering the implementation of a LIMS or Sample Tracking solution. It covers all stages of a project, from determining the need for a solution through selection up to the final decision and implementation post –order. It includes a section giving some of the common reasons why projects can potentially fail, so you can avoid the same mistakes. Based on decades of practical management experience, specifying and delivering successful solutions, it provides relevant and honest information that will help you achieve the successful implementation of your specific project.
Autoscribe Limited is a leader in the development and supply of innovative configured solutions within the scientific laboratory market and our Matrix systems are supplied with a unique set of configuration tools that allow further configuration of the system if needed.
Autoscribe also offers systems for instrument calibration and maintenance, stability testing, customer complaints management, support management and resource planning.
Matrix – Future proofed solutions to protect your software investment
To request a copy of the definitive guide to buying a LIMS go to www.autoscribelims.com/contact/request-lims-selection-guide/
For more information about Autoscribe’s Matrix products go to www.autoscribelims.com

RemedyMD Announces Investigate Cell Therapy LIMS and ELN

2012-01-31T19:47:00.000-08:00

RemedyMD Announces Investigate Cell Therapy, a Revolutionary Research Management System for Blood and Marrow Transplant Centers

Investigate Cell Therapy is the first and only research management system to integrate key translational research components, including LIMS, ELN, biospecimen tracking and a patient registry into one platform

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RemedyMD, the leading provider of Translational Research Informatics, will launch Investigate™ Cell Therapy at the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation BMT Tandem Meetings Feb. 1 – Feb. 5 in San Diego, Calif. (Booth #604).

"Investigate Cell Therapy is designed to improve research efficiencies, facilitate pattern recognition and accelerate discoveries in BMT centers," said Hank Wu, Investigate product manager for RemedyMD.

Fully integrated with ComprehensiveBMT™, Investigate Cell Therapy is the world's only blood and marrow research management system capable of integrating next-generation sequencing, cross-disease registries, and long-term complications and outcomes to advance cell therapy research. Researchers benefit from:

Aggregation of disparate data types from bench to bedside data sources with an intelligent ontology that harmonizes biospecimen, registry and outcomes data
360-degree perspective of phenotypic and genotypic data for subjects, patients, diseases
Configurability that keeps up with the pace of research, without waiting for software coding or database administration
Multisite, real-time research collaboration without the cost and complexity of infrastructure building and maintenance
A suite of reporting, analysis, and data visualization tools that enable drag-and-drop reporting by researchers, scientists, and clinicians without writing SQL

Investigate Cell Therapy leverages the same research platform implemented at the Blood Research Institute of the Blood Center of Wisconsin to integrate lab information management systems (LIMS), study design and tracking, patient registries, and data mining and visualization.

"Research is fundamentally an exercise in pattern recognition," said Gary Kennedy, Founder and CEO of RemedyMD. "Bringing the power of Investigate™ to bear on cell therapy research will provide blood and marrow researchers with the technology they need to recognize new patterns and increase the speed of discovery."

RemedyMD will demonstrate Investigate Cell Therapy at BOOTH #604 at the 2012 Tandem Meetings in San Diego, Calif. beginning Feb. 1 – Feb. 5.

This product is for research use only and is not intended for clinical or cell processing purposes.
About RemedyMD, Inc.

RemedyMD is the leading provider of registries and registry-based products for Life Science Research. RemedyMD's disease registry software is cutting-edge research management software which enables researchers, clinicians and scientists to collect, aggregate, harmonize, and analyze data from widely disparate sources and then use Mosaic™ Platform tools and applications to identify patterns that result in accelerated discoveries and better clinical data management. For more information visit: www.RemedyMD.com.

Media Contacts
Kristofer Beldin, RemedyMD, (801) 870-9407 (cell), kris.beldin@remedymd.com

Global LIMS Market Predicted to Reach $1.4 Billion by 2015

2012-01-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

Global Laboratory Information Management Systems Market to Reach US$1.4 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global outlook on the Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Industry. Growth in the global LIMS market would be driven by the increasing adoption of LIMS solutions among research organizations in emerging markets. In addition, technological advancements and the growing popularity of SaaS LIMS are expected to enhance adoption.

San Jose, California (PRWEB) January 19, 2012

Follow us on LinkedIn – Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), a part of Information Management Systems, facilitates management of samples, instruments and users in a laboratory set-up through the use of computer hardware and software. China and India offer potential growth opportunities for vendors operating in the global Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) market, largely due to the rapid strides made by the two nations in the technological sphere. Growth opportunities for LIMS market are also emerging from Eastern Europe driven by increased activity in pharmaceutical, biotech, and environmental markets.

With several companies expanding their operations in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, all businesses, irrespective of scale of operation, would require automated systems to create audit trails, track samples, provide detailed analyses, monitor features, and report from a remote location. Strong, and robust growth patterns in manufacturing industries across developing countries offer a lucrative business case for LIMS, since higher manufacturing activity translates into greater need for manufacturing quality control functions to meet the slated regulatory requirements. Additionally, increased investments in biotechnology and drug development in developing countries, and tougher regulatory requirements are expected to offer lucrative business opportunities for LIMS, as traceability of data gains importance under such a scenario that prioritizes compliance to regulatory norms.

Traditionally, LIMS systems were procured on outright purchase basis, which proved to be time consuming and involved high level of expenditure. The LIMS market is steadily warming up to the Internet based-Software as a Service (SaaS) model, wherein software applications hosted by service providers are licensed/rented to end-users for use over the Internet. Unlike other commercial LIMS applications, SaaS LIMS is hosted on service provider’s server rather than at the end-users lab, and can be accessed by end-users through the Internet. The supply on demand model leverages the benefits offered by service-oriented architecture, Web 2.0 technologies and cloud computing to offer efficient and reliable solutions featuring advanced capabilities, on-demand. SaaS LIMS offers multi-tenant feature, which allows usage of single application and database for managing data for various customers, while sorting each customer’s data separately. If deployed efficiently, SaaS LIMS model offers confidentiality, security and excellent return on investment, all of which are critical requirements in a laboratory set-up.

Though LIMS offers numerous advantages, deployment and implementation continues to be marred by several drawbacks and issues such as high upfront costs for in-house custom systems/solutions, longer implementation time for commercial LIMS solution, functional glitches in fulfilling integrative needs of global companies with dispersed laboratory operations, and competitive threat posed by alternative enterprise-wide operational management systems.

Global market for LIMS is highly competitive and is home to several leading players including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Labware, Labvantage, and Abbott/STARLIMS, among others. Several factors come into play during the vendor selection process such as vendor brand equity, reliability of solutions offered, and the degree of responsiveness to the client in the form of providing proactive technical and customer support services. As a result, players are required to keep updating their core competencies to fend off potential competition. Vendor visibility is crucial, especially in an environment marked by rapid, large-scale adoption of LIMS in a laboratory setting, and spiraling competition.

The research report titled “Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS): A Global Outlook” announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a collection of statistical anecdotes, market briefs, and concise summaries of research findings. The report offers an aerial view of the industry, identifies major short to medium term market challenges, and growth drivers. Market discussions in the report are punctuated with fact-rich market data tables. Regional markets elaborated upon include United States, Europe, and India. Also included is an indexed, easy-to-refer, fact-finder directory listing the addresses, and contact details of companies worldwide.

For more details about this comprehensive industry report, please visit –
http://www.strategyr.com/Laboratory_Information_Management_Systems_Industry_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world's largest and reputed market research firms.

FDA to Implement Abbott's STARLIMS

2012-01-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Date: January 18, 2012
Abbott Park (NYSE: ABT) — Abbott announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin implementing Abbott’s STARLIMS® software-based laboratory information management system.

STARLIMS LIMS software will be used to manage complex processes and the analysis of the vast amounts of information generated by FDA laboratories.

As part of a master agreement with Dovèl Technologies, a company that provides high-end software applications to government organizations, the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) will begin deploying LIMS solutions from STARLIMS, designed to enhance testing of food and drug chemistries, devices, forensics material and microbiology samples. The ORA operates mainly five types of laboratories in 14 separate locations. The LIMS solution will provide the needed capability to manage the analytical workflow operations in ORA labs for approximately 825 users supporting sample accountability, data analysis, document control, report generation, and other lab operation functions.

“We’re looking forward to working on this important initiative,” said Isaac Friedman, head of Abbott’s STARLIMS business. “STARLIMS has a successful track record in implementing web-based LIMS for life sciences organizations, public health laboratories and a number of federal agencies.”
About STARLIMS

Based in Hollywood, Fla., Abbott’s STARLIMS business (http://www.starlims.com) is a leading provider of laboratory information management systems, with more than 20 years of LIMS experience. STARLIMS products help improve the reliability of laboratory sampling processes, support compliance with domestic and international regulations and industry standards, and provide comprehensive reporting, monitoring and analysis capabilities. STARLIMS software is used for quality assurance and control, testing and monitoring, and research and development in government, manufacturing and life sciences organizations. With 12 development and support centers across the globe, STARLIMS serves customers in more than 40 countries.
About Abbott

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.