Labguru Blog

Scientists have traditionally relied on paper and Excel spreadsheets to record and analyze data. But a growing number of researchers in academia and biomedical or pharmaceutical companies are adopting Electronic Lab Notebooks,, for everything from collecting data to deriving scientific insights. The reason? Modern research is too complex, and the amount of data generated is simply too great to...

Equaly is a Belgian biotechnology startup working to harness the innate immune system against immunological disorders. By specifically modulating the innate immune system, without the risk of off-target effects, Equaly aims to pioneer novel, cost-effective therapeutic approaches to cure immunological diseases instead of simply alleviating their symptoms. 

This Pride Month, we are excited to interview Dr. Li-or Zach, an Application Scientist at Labguru. Li-or is happy to share her story and her insights about being out and proud in STEM and at Labguru.

Why do so many scientists still record data in paper notebooks in this day and age? The answer is that although technology permeates every aspect of our lives and is often incorporated into laboratory management systems, there are several perceived advantages to relying on paper laboratory notebooks. Paper can be easily used to jot down notes or draw scientific diagrams, providing the kind of...

Science, in theory, is a self-correcting field where any errors are doomed to be weeded out sooner or later. But spend some time doing scientific research, and you’ll notice that reality seldom lives up to this ideal – scientific errors occur regularly and are published at an alarming frequency. This is because despite years of training, scientists are still humans who are liable to make mistakes...

Laboratories all over the world are beginning to implement lab robots such as liquid handlers, which automate routine manual tasks and save time. Unfortunately, the platforms used to record experiments and sample data don’t always keep up with technological advancements, requiring scientists to manually integrate and transfer data between robots, lab management systems and lab notebooks.

Can you easily trace your conclusions or products all the way back to the raw experimental data, and be sure that no information was lost on the way? If you can — congratulations, you perform magnificent research data management. Most commonly, however, ensuring data traceability and integrity is quite a challenge, one that scientists struggle with every day.

Many researchers hesitate to switch to digital research laboratory management, worrying that the implementation process of an ELN or LIMS system will be long and complicated, slowing down day-to-day tasks and the progress of research. They might worry about how the research management system will be received among the lab members, if training will be slow and they’ll resist the change. 

One of the first questions that you have to ask yourself when selecting an electronic lab notebook (ELN) for your lab is where will the information be stored — on premises, or in the cloud?