Development and application of computer software for cell culture laboratory management

Prototype computer software for a Cell Culture Laboratory Management System (CCLMS) has been developed to relieve cell culture specialists of the burd en of manual recordkeeping. Conventional data archives in eel culture labor atories are prone to error and expensive to maintain. The reliance upon cel l culture to provide models for biochemical and molecular biological resear ch serves to magnify errors at great expense. The CCLMS prototype encapsula tes a modular software application that manages the many aspects of cell cu lture laboratory recordkeeping. A transaction-based database stores detaile d information on subcultures, freezes and thaws, prints waterproof labels f or culture vessels, and provides for immediate historical trace-back of any cultured cell line. Linked database files store information specific to an individual culture flask while removing redundancy between similar groups of flasks. A frozen cell log maintains locations of all vials within any ty pe of cryogenic storage unit, locates spaces for newly frozen cell lines, a nd generates alphabetical or numerical reports. Finally, modules for mainta ining cell counts, user records, and culture vessel specifications to suppo rt a comprehensive automation process are incorporated within this software . The developed CCLMS prototype has been demonstrated to be an adaptable, r eliable tool for improving training, efficiency, and historical rigor for t wo independent cell culture facilities.