ELN

LabKey's Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) is a user-friendly, data-connected software solution designed to help scientists efficiently document experiments and share ongoing research. Built as an integral part of the LabKey platform, it goes beyond traditional lab notebook functionality by seamlessly integrating with samples, assay data, bioregistry entities, and workflows — breaking down data silos and unifying research teams around a single source of truth.

Designed specifically for scientific R&D organizations, the LabKey ELN improves data integrity, accelerates collaboration, and streamlines the review and approval processes that are central to laboratory operations. It is suitable for teams that need a connected, compliant, and easy-to-adopt experiment documentation tool.

Integrated Data and Sample Management

• Seamlessly integrated with samples, assay data, bioregistry entities, and workflows within the LabKey platform.
• Directly link notebook entries to bioregistry entities, samples, and assays to improve data integrity and highlight important data.
• Reference other lab notebooks while working across related experiments.
• Share experiment results in context with ongoing research for greater scientific transparency.

Streamlined Authoring and Ease of Use

• Designed for ease of use and rapid adoption within scientific R&D organizations.
• Use templates to standardize experiment documentation and save time during authoring.
• Powerful authoring tools include a rich text editor, data linking, inline attachments, and commenting capabilities.
• Easily search notebooks, add project tags, and set notebook status to keep work organized.
• Intuitive interface accelerates experiment capture, reviews, and approval processes.

Scientific Collaboration and Review

• Collaboratively author, review, and discuss electronic lab notebook entries and referenced data within the ELN software.
• Comment on notebook entries to facilitate team discussion and collaboration.
• View file attachments and linked data inline for full context during review.
• Sign off on notebooks and automatically send notifications to request reviews from colleagues.
• Encrypted snapshots of notebooks — including text and data — are taken upon sign-off, preserving the original state of each entry.

IP Protection and Compliance

• Standardize lab notebook review and sign-off protocols to protect intellectual property.
• Snapshot-based preservation ensures notebook entries remain intact and auditable after sign-off.
• Supports regulatory compliance through audit trails, automatic backups, and secure cloud-based storage.
• Data security is addressed through intentional design, including guidance on stripping personally identifiable information and partnering with a trusted software provider.

The LabKey ELN is part of the broader LabKey platform, which includes sample management, LIMS capabilities, and bioregistry tools. This tight integration distinguishes it from standalone ELN products, making it particularly well-suited for life sciences organizations seeking a unified environment for experiment documentation, sample tracking, and data management.