eLN SUPPLEMENT


for incoming orders. Shortly after the introduction, all lab members adopted the eLN system. By doing so, GSF is the first of six VIB service facilities to adopt eLN. “The layout for experiments for new orders


was set up in a way that we can link each individual order to our existing in-house Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). eLN perfectly fits into our existing setup. The introduction of eLN quickly simplified data handling. It’s is an essential add-on to our LIMS system. Furthermore, eLN allows for better communication and facilitates data traceability in the lab,” adds Hubert Backhovens, who heads the GSF at the VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp.


Electronic Lab Notebook system helps VIB researchers during their research stays abroad Since January 2011, Sarah Triest, Ph.D. student at Jan Steyaert's Lab has worked as a guest researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, USA). She uses eLN to store and share her research results with colleagues back home. “Thanks to eLN, I’m able to enter my


experiments performed at the NIH in a very organised way. Also, I can consult all my previous experiments with a mouse-click, which is obviously more convenient than travelling around the world with your collection of regular lab books. Equally important, I can follow all experiments performed in my research group in Brussels. And of course they can check out all the new findings even before my return to Belgium,” explains Sarah. “Having a central repository for lab


documentation allows all VIB researchers to store, access, and share research data whether they work at any VIB site, at home or abroad,” adds Alexander Botzki, eLN Project Officer at VIB.


eLN at VIB – short and long term perspectives “In July 2011, VIB will upgrade the eLN system. As a complement to traditional experimental templates, a BioAssay module will be integrated in eLN which will allow VIB scientists to analyse complex biological workflows (screening data, in vivodata etc.) within eLN. Enhancing eLN with this BioAssay module will support our strategy to make eLN the major one stop-shop for the future’s lab environment,” adds Alexander. By introducing these workflows for the most used experiment layouts in the eLN system, a higher


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standardisation of most lab processes can be achieved in the longer run. Furthermore, trained expert eLN users will be able to fine-tune the protocols so that they can help their colleagues to optimise their experimental documentation in eLN.


down the roll-out throughout the organisation with many technical challenges. As long as eLN use is not mandatory, we clearly see the need for a continuous follow-up to avoid those issues such as forgotten passwords or lack of applied upgrades lead to eLN discontinuation. We


VIB in Flanders


“Adoption rates are also increasing with an average of 70 per cent of lab members


using eLN, with some of the top labs showing greater than 90 per cent adoption”


During regular lab visits after introduction


of the eLN, it became clear that eLN would have to be complemented with additional software solutions, including for example in the field of Image Management. VIB scientists generate a large number of images for standard techniques like Western Blotting which can be integrated into eLN. If it comes down to the raw data images of these standard techniques and more important for confocal analysis and high content screening, the current capacities of eLN are not suitable enough to serve for efficient documentation. Therefore, VIB is investigating implementing an Image Management solution based on the OMERO system used by at least two VIB sites. This solution should also be fully integrated in eLN so that the images and their metadata are available from within eLN. “Evidently, the implementation of eLN


within the VIB groups wasn’t always plain sailing. We experienced and still experience strong resistance to eLN adoption from some groups of scientists. Furthermore, VIB’s decentralised and heterogeneous IT architectures continue to slow


quickly identified that the group leaders play a crucial role in supporting eLN uptake by his or her group members,” continues Alexander. After two years, we have rolled out eLN to 25


of around 70 research groups with over 100 users per day. Adoption rates are also increasing with an average of 70 per cent of lab members using eLN, with some of the top labs showing greater than 90 per cent adoption. These positive adoption rates convince us that most VIB groups will, over time, switch to electronic documentation. An eLN project is a long term project in an


academic setting. VIB continues to support eLN with respect to training and customisations due a high turnover of around 17 per cent of our scientists per year. Furthermore, it is expected that software enhancements will facilitate the eLN roll-out to all VIB groups over the next two years with a majority of VIB scientists using eLN on a daily base.


Since August 2009, Alexander Botzki has worked as an eLN Project Officer for VIB, a Life Sciences Research Institute in Flanders, Belgium. Alexander obtained his PhD at the University of Regensburg (Germany) in 2004. He completed a PostDoc at Sanofi-Synthélabo


(Strasbourg) and in December 2005 started working as a Senior Computational Medicinal Chemist at DevGen. After three years, he moved to Algonomics as a Senior Scientist.


European Pharmaceutical Review 13 Volume 16 | Issue 4 | 2011


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