Connecting laboratories

Geoff Harper details a solution that’s advancing the path to the electronic lab

Claimed to represent the next generation in digitalised lab research, Labfolder is an electronic lab notebook and collaboration platform designed to help document, organise and share research data. Sophisticated software is used to create a service that simplifies workflow and accelerates research.

Its maker says that the product is a viable alternative to paper-based notebooks, enabling scientists to document and organise research, plan experiments and collaborate with others digitally. The software provides an intuitive user interface and is available on all Android and iOS mobile devices, allowing access and data management from everywhere.

“We connect the people, devices, materials and research using proven expertise,” says Labfolder’s Sean Haley. “Our focus on simplicity makes it easy to access research, collaborate with others and draw accurate and detailed conclusions from the data you gather.”

User-friendly approach

Labfolder combines simplicity with usability, explains Haley. “Data can be entered as easily as writing it down on paper – no forms to fill out, no terms and conditions to sign, just log in and start recording. Annotations and comments can be made later; all data is backed up, either at a local server installation or in our servers, meaning you can go back to any experiment you’ve done and comment or annotate. To highlight how advanced the user experience is, Labfolder doesn’t have a user manual: its simplicity means you can get started right away.”

Teamwork is a necessity in any lab, and increasingly between labs too. This new solution sets out to be the connection between labs and researchers, with its built-in messaging app allowing instant communication between those working on a project. A lab supervisor overseeing an experiment maintains full sharing rights, meaning they decide who sees the data produced. Licences are issued depending on how many users there are – the solution is free for individuals and discounts are offered for academia and start-ups.

The in-service messaging app and easy sharing options mean the researchers get to the data they need, quickly. The company took part in the SmartLAB exhibition at this year’s Labvolution in Hannover where, alongside partners in the industry, the team demonstrated how connectivity between all aspects of the lab has been achieved. The company’s rich API means computers in the lab can talk to Labfolder, sending and receiving relevant data. At SmartLAB, the company demonstrated how Labfolder connects to devices such as the Sartorius Cubis, a highly accurate set of scales, Köttermann lab benches with in-built heating pads and the Stäubli TX2-90 robotic arm, ensuring maximum efficiency and lab safety.

The software backs up on a daily basis so that maximum data safety is ensured even in the event of a computer crash or other incident.

What does the company want for the future? “Our vision for the future is to see the devices, people and data of every lab digitally connected, and in such a way that accurate and detailed research is readily available at the click of a mouse – Labfolder will be the bridge between these features, doing so at the best value for the user,” comments Haley. 

For more information, visit www.scientistlive.com/eurolab

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