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If you are in the planning phase of adopting an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) solution, an essential factor to consider is the method through which different ELN systems store and access your data. Electronic data storage and access methods can make or break successful adoption of an electronic laboratory notebook. In this blog post, we consider different data storage methods currently used by different ELN providers and how different clients can benefit from each unique solution.
\nConsider the current and future environments in which you will operate an electronic lab notebook. Will you be using the ELN as part of a collaborative team or as an individual? Are you or your team always on the move and need access to your lab notes while offsite? Or, lab notes must be accessed in a controlled environment onsite? Do you currently have a laboratory information management system in your laboratory that needs to integrate with your new lab notebook software? At LabLog, we work with our clients to carefully assess each of these scenarios. This allows us to provide the ideal data storage solution. For instance, a client who wishes to operate an electronic lab notebook within a highly regulated pharmaceutical QA/QC environment may find it more cost-effective and efficient to leverage their current in-house network capabilities and local servers instead of an internet-based cloud storage system. Allow us to explain what we mean by local/on-premise data storage vs cloud-based data storage.
\n\n\n\n\nIf it’s in the cloud, it must be better, right? Well, maybe, and maybe not.
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On-premise lab notebook
\nOn-premises lab data storage are deployed in the traditional manner. Your IT support team acquires servers, installs operating systems and other hardware, but all of that lives within your four walls or the walls of your private data center. Your IT experts are responsible for the on-premise solution. You can outsource maintenance, but your organization still provides the physical security, the electricity, and the balance sheet entries to carry the assets. Most pharmaceutical, academic, and biotech corporations already have on-premise servers for managing emails and data storage. For instance, most Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) use traditional on-premise data management. Unfortunately, most available Electronic Laboratory Notebook solutions (ELN) do not support on-premise data storage and access. This disconnect can pose a challenge for teams that require deep integration of a new ELN with their existing systems. We developed the LabLog ELN to overcome this challenge by allowing on-premise data management of your electronic laboratory notes. We achieved this by using hybrid solutions.
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Cloud Solutions
\nCloud-based electronic laboratory notebooks are accessed over the Internet, as opposed to being on an internal network accessible only over private connections. This can pose a challenge if you are complying with FDA or other regulatory bodies who have stringent requirements for user access levels, data management, and data security. However, if you and your colleagues need to access and share lab notes while on the go, you will need a cloud-based app. There will be extra costs associated with cloud usage, as you will pay for what you use. Most lab notebook apps available on the market have been designed to work only in the cloud because it is cheaper and easier for the developers to sell their product to a wide range of users regardless of the client's operating environment or hardware and operating systems. While this is an easy way to distribute a product, it does not take into consideration the specific needs of a client in the long term. Not every computer in an organization may be connected to the internet or the internet connection may not always be reliable.
\n\nA Hybrid Approach
\nDespite the absence of hybrid options on the market, there’s no reason to think the choice between on-premise and cloud-based lab notebook is a mutually exclusive one. You should be able to pick and choose what works best for you. Maybe you want to host your lab notebook data on-premise but leverage cloud services for long-term data storage and lab note sharing across multiple locations. It was for this reasons that we decided to design, for the first time, a solution that allows you to pick and choose between cloud and on-premise services. Our engineers work closely with customers to develop the best solution for them. Click here to request a personalized demo.
\nWhether you prefer on-premise or cloud-based laboratory notebooks, don’t assume you have to choose one to the exclusion of the other. There are times where both may be the better choice, depending on circumstance you can make the right decision.
\n| \n | Solution | \nWinner | \n
| Expertise | \n\n On-premise: In-house IT team and experts needed. \n | \nCloud | \n
| Support & monitoring | \n\n Cloud-services may not monitor what is important to you. \n | \nOn-Premise | \n
| Scale | \n\n Expensive to perform on-premises. \n | \nCloud | \n
| Trust | \n\n Cloud has risks, and you will need to trust someone else as opposed to yourself on-premises. \n | \nOn-Premise | \n
| Compliance | \n\n Backups, encryptions, and user access managed by yourself on-premises. \n | \nOn-Premise | \n
| Understanding your business | \n\n In the cloud, everything is equal. Only you can understand and prioritize your business. \n | \nOn-Premise | \n
| Security | \n\n You know your people and assets. \n | \nOn-Premise | \n
| Customization | \n\n You have much more freedom on-premises. \n | \nOn-Premise | \n
| Cost | \n\n You purchase assets for on-premise data storage. Cloud service is pay-as-you-use. \n | \nCloud | \n
Finally, let us discuss a few hypothetical scenarios where cloud-based or on-premise lab notebooks may be advantageous.
\nExample 1. Company XYZ Laboratories is a rapidly growing startup that formed 4 years ago. This company investigates promising therapeutic and diagnostic compounds. Most of their budget is being spent on clinical trials and talent acquisition. A suitable electronic laboratory notebook app can facilitate compliance with FDA regulations, collaborations, and data management. Since this company does not have the budget to invest in a dedicated in-house IT service team and on-premises data servers, a cloud-based electronic laboratory notebook will be a good fit. However, because of time-critical workflows, it is critical for the team to access their data 24/7 with 100% reliability. Therefore, a cloud-backed notebook that can store data on individual user's computers will be a better choice.
\nExample 2. Dr. V Hardworker recently graduated from grad school and has started a new postdoctoral program at a research university department. Her laboratory operates on a tight budget. Therefore, while a cloud-based notebook may appear as an ideal solution, the cost of storing the large amounts of data generated in the long term can increase dramatically. After talking to her advisor and the head of the department, they decide to utilize the existing IT support team and on-premise network assets to store their electronic laboratory notes on a local server. This brings down the costs associated with cloud storage of data.
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\r\nThe New Year offers an excellent opportunity to approach your personal and professional goals with a fresh perspective. While you are resetting from holiday festivities, you might be making New Year’s resolutions to be healthier, be more organized or productive, or meet particular scientific milestones. Regardless of what your goals are for the year, it is critical to construct a systematic plan with defined metrics for success. Here are five tips for getting a solid scientific start to 2018.
\r\n\r\n1. De-clutter your bench.
\r\nIt is much easier to execute an experiment efficiently and successfully when your bench is organized and free of clutter. Now is as good of a time as ever to go through the reagents on your bench, in your fridge, or in your freezer and get rid of anything that has expired, contains precipitation, or is otherwise unusable. Perhaps you possess buffers or enzymes that you seldom use that might be more valuable to one of your lab mates. Also, try to make a habit of cleaning and reorganizing your bench before leaving the lab at the end of each day. Having to clean up yesterday’s mess will slow down your progress and distract you from achieving today’s goals. Moreover, leaving biological waste and other reagents out on your bench can invite bacteria and other contaminants to invade your bench-space and potentially your experiments, which can easily be avoided by adhering to a regular cleaning routine.
\r\n\r\n2. Maintain an organized lab notebook.
\r\nAnother important habit to build into your lab routine that will boost your scientific productivity is taking accurate and detailed notes on your experiments. Often, we try to fit in as much activity at the bench as humanly possible in a day that it becomes easy to forego taking the time to write down what exactly we did. However, recording details about how each step of the protocol was executed and which reagents were used will facilitate troubleshooting and reproducibility later down the road. Also, there are now electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) available that enable efficient, organized, and elegant note taking that are easy to adopt and incorporate into your routine. For more information on ELNs, click here.
\r\n\r\n3. Make commitments, not resolutions.
\r\nIf you’re like most ambitious people, as the holidays were running their course, you likely drafted a list of New Year’s resolutions for 2018. Chances are you’ve broken at least one of them already. Instead of simply resolving to do a laundry list of things, you are better positioned for success by making no more than a few commitments. To maximize happiness, make at least one commitment to cultivating a healthy habit outside the lab. For instance, maybe you’re aiming to exercise more, eat healthier, spend more time with friends and family, or simply to get ‘enough’ sleep. Any habit that you develop to promote your well-being will enhance your ability and motivation to achieve professional success.
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4. Set actionable and quantifiable goals.
\r\nOnce you have decided on what key personal and professional goals you aim to accomplish in 2018, make sure you also formulate a clear plan of action and method of holding yourself accountable. Measuring your progress requires that you have set quantifiable goals. For example, instead of striving to “read more papers,” commit to reading at least 3 relevant scientific articles per week. If your goal is to publish a paper, set deadlines for when you will complete your experiments, analyze the data, make figures, and write the first draft. Creating a spreadsheet or setting calendar reminders can also help you keep up with your commitments. If you don’t make all of your deadlines or meet every single goal, instead of giving up, it’s important that you consistently evaluate your progress and determine how you can improve on the things you set out to achieve.
\r\n\r\n5. Talk to your adviser about your plans.
\r\nYour PI’s primary role should be to guide and empower you to achieve your career dreams. Once you have created a clear vision of what you aim to accomplish, how you will accomplish it, and by when you will succeed, you should discuss your plans with your mentor to get his or her feedback. With your PI on board, achieving your scientific goals will be much more attainable with his or her expertise and support. Importantly, communicating openly, honestly, and often with your mentor will not only help you succeed while in the lab, but will also lay the foundation for a supportive relationship throughout your career.
\r\n\r\n\r\nBest of luck in achieving your dreams in 2018!
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