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 burden of manual recordkeeping. Conventional data archives in cell culture laboratories are prone to error and expensive to maintain. The reliance upon cell culture to provide models for biochemical and molecular biological research serves to magnify errors at great expense. The CCLMS prototype encapsulates a modular software application that manages the many aspects of cell culture laboratory recordkeeping. A transaction-based database stores detailed information on subcultures, freezes and thaws, prints waterproof labels for 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 type of cryogenic storage unit, locates spaces for newly frozen cell lines, and generates alphabetical or numerical reports. Finally, modules for maintaining cell counts, user records, and culture vessel specifications to support a comprehensive automation process are incorporated within this software. The developed CCLMS prototype has been demonstrated to be an adaptable, reliable tool for improving training, efficiency, and historical rigor for two independent cell culture facilities.