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Feature

Samples

Full sample lifecycle management

Track every sample from collection to archival. Know exactly where each sample is stored, its chain of custody, lineage, and current status — in real time.

app.nextlabs.io/samples/A1B2

Overview

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Inbox2
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Integrations
Samples

Patient cohort A — frozen aliquots

Freezer 3 · Rack B · Box 4

24 wells

PCR amplicons — Plate 7

Freezer 1 · Drawer 2

96 wells

Cell lines — HEK293T passages

LN2 tank · Cane 4

12 wells

Protein extracts — purified

Freezer 2 · Rack A · Box 1

8 wells

Box · A1B2

Patient cohort A — frozen aliquots

Freezer 3 · Rack B · Box 4

24 samples

Box layout

A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
A8
B1
B2
B3
B4
B5
B6
B7
B8
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
C7
C8
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
D8
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
E6
E7
E8
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
F7
F8
G1
G2
G3
G4
G5
G6
G7
G8
H1
H2
H3
H4
H5
H6
H7
H8

4 wells selected · B3, B4, C3, C4

Selection

Wells4
Volume200 µL
StatusAvailable

History

Aliquoted 50 µL → Plate B

S. Chen · 2h ago

Moved from Freezer 1 to Freezer 3

M. Webb · 1d ago

Initial registration · 24 wells

P. Nair · 6d ago

Location mapping

Map your physical storage — freezers, racks, boxes, positions. Find any sample in seconds.

Lineage tracking

Record parent-child relationships between samples. Full derivation history for every aliquot.

Chain of custody

See every transfer, aliquot, and status change. A complete, tamper-evident history.

Status management

Active, consumed, archived, depleted. Always know the state of every sample.

Integrated with experiments

Link samples directly to the experiments that use them. See which experiments consumed which samples and when.

Custom metadata

Add custom fields for species, collection date, storage conditions, or any lab-specific attribute.

Search and filter

Find samples by ID, status, location, or any metadata field. Bulk operations for large collections.

Built for real lab workflows

Patient and biobank samples

Track de-identified patient samples through collection, processing, aliquoting, and analysis. Custom metadata fields capture clinical attributes that matter for downstream analysis without dropping into free text.

Cell line and strain management

Every passage is a child of the previous one — lineage is recorded automatically. Pull the full history of a strain back to the original ATCC entry in two clicks, including who passaged it and when.

Chemical compound libraries

Plate position, concentration, solvent, expiry. Find every aliquot of a hit compound across freezers, plates, and racks before the screening run starts, not the morning of.

Field collection and environmental samples

GPS coordinates, collection date, conditions, and chain of custody from field site to freezer. Each transfer is logged so you know exactly where a sample lived from the moment it was collected.

Works with your existing tools

Sample data flows in from collection devices and out to analysis pipelines. The freezer map and the analysis report stay tied together.

  • CSV bulk import for migrating existing sample registries
  • Plate map import for 96-, 384-, and 1536-well formats
  • Barcode and QR generation for tube and box labels
  • Mobile-friendly UI for bench-side aliquot logging
  • Direct linking to experiments that consumed each sample
  • Export to FAIR-compliant formats for data deposit and publication

Frequently asked questions

Can we track samples in physical freezer-rack-box-position?

Yes. The location tree models exactly that — building, room, freezer, shelf, rack, box, position — at unlimited depth. Find any sample by full path or by partial query.

How is sample lineage recorded?

When you aliquot, split, or derive a new sample, the parent-child relationship is captured automatically. The lineage view shows the full graph back to the original source, with branch points and consumption events.

Do you support de-identification for clinical work?

Yes. PHI is never required at the sample level. Use opaque IDs and store the link table in a system that meets your compliance posture. Field-level access control keeps sensitive metadata away from users without clearance.

Can we generate labels for our existing label printer?

Generated barcodes export as PNG or SVG and print on any standard label stock. Brother, Zebra, Dymo, and most chemistry-resistant cryo-label printers work without driver-specific configuration.

What happens when a sample is consumed?

Status moves to Consumed and the record is preserved permanently. Audit history, lineage, and links to experiments stay intact — you do not lose the trail when the physical sample is gone.

Ready to modernize your lab?

No commitment. Cancel anytime during the trial.