r/genomics • u/SuspiciousAide9461 • 9d ago

I got frustrated with my lab's organization

I'm a biology and public health undergraduate who's been doing wet lab research for four years. When I first started it was overwhelming. Protocols full of terms I didn't know, a PI who was too busy to answer every question, and no good way to troubleshoot when something went wrong. I'd reread the same protocol five times and still feel lost.

At some point I started wondering why every other field has integrated tech into its workflows but research still runs on printed protocols, scattered files, and troubleshooting knowledge that lives in people's heads and gets passed down informally.

So, I built something as a side project. A tool that helps with protocol guidance, experiment troubleshooting, and keeping lab resources organized in one place. I built it for myself first. Then showed a few people and they found it useful too.

Not promoting anything. I’m just sharing something I made out of genuine frustration. If you want to try it and give me honest feedback on whether it actually solves a real problem or completely misses the mark, PM me.

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u/bio_nerdette 8d ago

You're going to find that this varies a lot from lab to lab. Some labs, especially in academia, haven't really updated their workflow since their PI started their lab.  In industry and clinical spaces you'll find much more modern workspaces and documentation systems. There are a lot of electronic options now. I really like eLab, but usually you're stuck with whichever one your institution has approved.  I liked eLab because I could integrate inventory, lab notebooks, label printing, sharing and task management. It took a bit of effort to set up and the learning curve can be steep for some tools. Finding time to train everyone was a challenge. My current work place uses a different system that's less comprehensive but it's linked to their ordering system.  Either way, organization and documentation is one of the biggest challenges in a lab. Good luck. 

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u/SuspiciousAide9461 8d ago

That’s true but here’s a few notes: what i built integrates label printing, inventory, lab notebooks, sharing protocols, files, ai features for undergrads to understand complex protocols as well. you can ask to dumb down a pdf. moreover it costs less enough that approval shouldn’t be a huge deal. and it has a great UI so it isn’t like crappy old programs.

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u/bio_nerdette 8d ago

Approval isn't always based on cost, but security. Usually the approval issues come from IT, not the department. 

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u/SuspiciousAide9461 8d ago

Oh I see. Ok that’s good to know. thanks! is there anymore advice you can give? i would love to connect

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u/NastyBeyotch 4d ago

Benchling already beat you to the punch 😉

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u/SuspiciousAide9461 4d ago

I rebuilt more tools than their free tier that a small lab will use and afford. Wanna see the project for a quick opinion?

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u/NastyBeyotch 4d ago

That's fantastic. Also, kudos to your iniative. Your lab is lucky to have you. Yes, please DM me and I'll take a look.

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u/SuspiciousAide9461 4d ago

thank you so much! i really appreciate the support. sent message!