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It's just a small microbiology lab that currently records everything on paper, and there's quite few mutants as well. Is Excel commonly used for this sort of thing? Or is there a better software to manage a lab?

Thanks for any help

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    $\begingroup$ check out benchling for constructs... is that the sort of software you mean? $\endgroup$ – shigeta Jan 28 '14 at 0:03
  • $\begingroup$ @shigeta not exactly, although this is pretty cool. But we're just looking for something offline, to keep track of all the different strains in a fridge, and when they mutate to somehow show that the mutants are related $\endgroup$ – dneish Jan 28 '14 at 1:44
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    $\begingroup$ What I think you're looking for is normally called an LIMS (Laboratory Inventory Management System), and I've never used a good one. Seriously, decided to spend the effort to build one in house because everything else we tried was horrible. $\endgroup$ – Atl LED Jan 28 '14 at 2:45
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    $\begingroup$ That's why most people who can afford it write their own LIMS systems - few labs ever do things the same to use a 'generic' LIMS. $\endgroup$ – shigeta Jan 28 '14 at 5:42
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    $\begingroup$ In my old lab we started with a .Net solution and then moved to an SQL/web based one. Now my lab uses a very similar modification of the SQL one. I want to add that my experience with LIMS that you pay for "semi-out-of-the-box", ie Nautilus, are also crap. $\endgroup$ – Atl LED Jan 30 '14 at 15:19
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I would go for StrainControl Laboratory Manager. Works perfect and covers all needs of a lab. Do not go for all the "free" stuff since they rely on a active sponsor and your data is never safe.

StrainControl is free for 3 months and if you want to continue use it you simply purchase the Admin password and all your data is saved.

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