1. Inventory Management – Container Creation
Core LIMS Training:
Inventory Management – Container Creation
Welcome to Core LIMS Training. This series of chapters will cover the topic of Inventory Management.
The Inventory Management system within Core LIMS manages and tracks the movement of samples between physical containers as well as the movement of those containers to physical locations within your business sites. This lesson will focus primarily on how containers are created in the LIMS.

2. Course Topics Containers Definition
Common Container Creation Processes
During Single Sample Registration
During Batch Sample Registration
Filling Uncreated Containers
Filling Pre-created Containers
Plates
Defining a Plate Map
Creating a Screening Plate
Creating a Dose Response Plate (Serial Dilution)
This lesson will begin with a definition of Containers within Core LIMS, and will introduce some of the common ways containers may be created. We will first review where you can create containers during sample registration processes (either during a single sample registration or a batch sample registration). Next we will look at how containers can be from a list of samples by arraying a list of samples. We will also take a brief look at how you can create empty containers first and add sample lots to pre-created containers.
The lesson will then continue with an introduction into Plates. Plates will be defined, their creation will be described, and the various ways they are used will be demonstrated.
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3. What is a Container?
A Container is an object that can physically hold one or more sample lots (batches of a sample)
Containers can be assigned to a physical location
Containers may be empty and contain no physical material
You can add a sample lot to it later
Containers can be a single well (like a vial) or have multiple wells (like a plate)
Containers can NOT hold other containers
A Container is a Super Type
So is a sample, lot and location - they are related through associations
Examples of Containers
Vials, bottles, tubes, microtiter plates
What is a container? Specifically, a container may be defined as an object that can physically hold one or more sample lots (or batches of a sample). Containers exist in a physical location that is tracked within the LIMS. Containers may contain solids, liquids, mixtures, or may be empty and contain no physical material at all. Even empty containers may still exist in a specified location and can be filled at a later time.
Containers can contain one single well, like a vial or tube, or containers can have multiple wells, as in a plate. Containers can NOT hold other containers. If you have a physical object that holds other objects within it that are not sample lots that can directly be tested in an experiment, the LIMS considers those objects to be Locations. For example, a box that holds several vials would be a location and the vials that directly hold the sample lot contents would be the containers.
In regards to their configuration within CORE LIMS, a container is a Super Type equivalent to samples, lots and locations, which are all super types also. You can easily navigate to the related samples, lots, and location records that are automatically associated and hyperlinked to a Container Details page.
Some common examples of Containers are: Vials, bottles, tubes, or plates. Your LIMS administrator can also easily create any container types that your business needs to track.
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4. Containers: Key Concepts
Samples may be created in 1 or more lots
Every lot may be stored in 1 or more containers
Material may be stored as dry solids/neat liquids OR as solutions
A container may contain mixtures of samples
Material can be transferred between containers – Core LIMS will track the lineage between containers
Every container will have its own unique identifier (TD#, FD#, MT# - prefix codes indicate the container type)
Container records can be created at any time, but are often created automatically during sample registration, transfer operations, or other processes
Now let’s first look at some of the key concepts or properties relevant to Containers.
As a review from sample registration, we know that samples may be created in 1 or more lots.
Each of those lots can be stored in a single container or a lot could be divided into several aliquots and split into multiple containers that need to be tracked separately.
Containers may contain just the physical sample lot, either as a dry solids or a neat liquid. You may also dissolve your sample lot into solution and the LIMS will track the concentration within the container.
You are not limited to having one sample lot stored within a container. The LIMS can also track mixtures.
Material can be transferred or moved from one container to another. CORE LIMS will automatically track the parent-child relationships between the containers.
Every container will have its own unique barcode identifier. This Identifier will begin with a prefix code that should help to identify the container type.
Containers can be created explicitly at any time whenever you need to make a record. However, most of the times that you would need to create a container record, such as during the sample registration process, during Transfer Operations or some other process in the lab, the container records can be automatically created at the same time you are defining the operation you are performing.
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5. Some Container Creation Workflows
Single Sample-Lot-Container Registration
Batch Sample-Lot-Container Registration (spreadsheet or SD File)
Fill Uncreated Containers
Fill Pre-created Containers
Create Sample Records
Create Lot Records & Associated Container Records
Create Sample, Lot Records and Associated Container Records at the same time
Create Sample and Lot Records (1 or 2 steps)
Create Container through List Functions (Array Samples into Containers)
Create Sample and Lot Records and Update Container records via Batch Registration
Create Empty Container Records
There are many ways that containers can be created in the LIMS. We will look at four of the most common container creation workflows.
As we saw in earlier tutorials, containers are often created during the sample registration process, either during the more manual, single sample registration process or when registering multiple samples at a time in batch. We will show exactly where containers can be created in more detail a little later.
The third workflow will follow what Core LIMS calls Arraying samples into Containers. This method requires that samples and lots have already been created. The user can then enter a list of samples into a List Functions page to fill new containers in a specified order. The new container records will be automatically created at the same time as the LIMS adds the contents to the new container. We will go into more detail on this process when we discuss how plates are made.
Finally, another possible workflow is to create empty containers first, perform a sample registration next, and then link the container records to the sample records at the end. The sample registration and sample-container associations can be done together using a batch registration spreadsheet or these two steps can be done as two separate events. Sometimes it can be handy to create the container records first if you need to print barcode labels early in your process.
Lets move on to look at each of these workflows in greater detail.
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Create Sample and Lot Records
Update Container via Entity Loader

6. Registration Can Create Containers
During manual sample registration users can define how much material is in the initial container for a specific lot
For dry samples
For samples that are in solution
One way containers can be created in Core LIMS, is through the standard process of Sample Registration. Please refer back to the lesson on Sample Registration if more detail is needed beyond what is covered in this section in regards to containers.
This slide shows the second page for the manual single sample registration process you learned earlier. Once the first page was filled out and the sample was created, you were automatically directed to this page. The top part of the page lets you enter the lot information. You can also fill out the bottom portion of the page to define how much material is in the initial container for the specific lot.
The User can specify the following:
The number of unique containers to create for this lot. If you specify more than one container, note that every container will be filled with the same amount and concentration of material that you specify below.
The Container type will define which type of container to create such as a vial, a box, bottle or tube, for example.
If the lot is going to be placed into an existing container that has already been created as a record in the LIMS, the container barcode can be entered.
The Amount field will specify the amount that will be placed into the container. Remember that if multiple containers were selected, this same amount will be entered into each container.
If the sample is in solution, you should fill out the Concentration field.
The user can also specify if a barcode label needs to be printed for the container. This can be a convenient time to print a barcode label since you may be physically filling the container near the time you are registering the lot.
Finally the location field is used to assign the container to a location if using the Inventory Management System. If no location is assigned, the new container records will be assigned to a default location. The default location is typically set to NO location, but your Admin can change this at any time.
Clicking on the Create New Lot button will automatically create both the lot record and the appropriate number of container records at the same time. The new containers will automatically be filled with the lot that was just created.
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7. So Can Batch Registration…
Just like single sample registration, batch registration can also create sample, lot, and container records at the same time
For sample types without chemical structures, batch registration uses a spreadsheet that is imported into Core LIMS
To create containers during the registration, just add columns that define the container properties to the spreadsheet
For sample types with structures, container properties can also be defined in the user interface or in the SD file
Leaving the CONTAINER BARCODE column blank tells the LIMS to create a new container record
As we learned in the lesson on Sample Registration, a second way to register samples is through Batch Registration. For most sample types, Batch registration allows the user to enter multiple samples at one time using a .txt or .xls file that can be imported into the LIMS. Please refer back to the Chapter on Sample Registration if further instruction is needed on Batch Registration. The same spreadsheet can also be used to create lots and containers at the same time, just like single sample registration. The appropriate container column names just need to be included in the import file, and the values desired for each column need to be populated. An example import file is shown on this slide. Leaving the Container Barcode column blank, tells the LIMS to create new containers. When this spreadsheet is uploaded, the sample, lot, and container records will be created and the new lots will be added to the new container records in the amounts and concentrations specified.
Similarly, for sample types that contain chemical structures, the batch registration process also allows containers to be created at the same time. Although we will not go into detail in this lesson, you can define container properties (such as amounts, concentrations, and units) either in the LIMS batch registration pages or within the SD file you import.
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8. Arraying Samples Creates Containers
From any list of registered sample lots, containers records are automatically created as they are “filled”
Can be used to create single well containers, but more commonly used to create plates
A third method for creating containers is by Arraying Samples into Containers, from within the Sample or Lot List Functions Page. You can navigate to this page directly and then paste in a list of sample or lot barcodes. Alternatively, you can forward a list from a Smart Table or other pages into a List Functions page. Once the list of samples or lots is populated here, the user can locate the section specifically labeled: Array Samples Into Containers. Within this section of the page, the user can define the container properties to create for the sample-lots.
Once the options are defined and the page is submitted, the LIMS will create new container records and fill them with the sample lots in the order they are listed. This method is most commonly used to fill up plates and we will go into more detail on that later in the lesson. However, this can also be used to create new single well containers (like vials or tubes) and fill them. When creating single well containers, each sample or lot in the list will be added to a separate new container.
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9. Empty Containers Can Be Filled Later
You can create empty container records so you can print barcodes first. Your administrator can also configure the container to allow you to enter non-LIMS barcodes if they are unique.
The last method of Container Creation that we will discuss in this chapter is the ability to create an empty container, within CORE LIMS, and then fill that container at a later date.
You may have a need to create your empty containers first, print out labels for the containers, and then fill them at a later date. Containers can easily be created, whenever needed, from within the Core LIMS Inventory Management System from a Create Containers page. You can usually navigate there from a Containers main menu and selecting the Create menu by the desired Container Type. If you need to get to this page often, your Admin may set up a gadget shortcut. The top part of this slide shows an example Create Container page. Note that you can create multiple container records at once by just indicating the number you want in the How Many? attribute.
Once created, users can later add sample lots to the empty container record at any time. To update a single record, navigate to the desired Container Details page and click on the Fill function. This will give you the fields you need to enter the appropriate information to fill the container. This page is shown on the bottom of the slide. You can enter either a sample lot barcode or a container barcode if you are transferring material from one container to this one. Then you can enter a concentration amount (if the material is in solution) and the amount of material to fill the container. Click the Fill button to save your changes.
If many containers need to be filled at the same time, use the Entity Loader to upload a spreadsheet.
Use the Fill link to add Sample-Lot info later. For many containers, use the Entity Loader to upload a spreadsheet.
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10. Plates
Plate - a container with multiple wells that can hold many sample lots in a spatial array and can be added to an experiment
A plate entity stores specific sample lot barcodes, well locations and the concentrations and volumes of solutions – it is stored under the Container Super Type
Plates are typically used in a single experiment
Up to this point, we have been primarily looking at containers with a single well such as tubes or vials. But what if your lab uses plates such as 96 well or 384 well microtiter plates?
In Core LIMS there are two types of records that we use to manage these types of containers. These are plates and plate maps.
Plates are the container records that store which sample lots are in each well and their amounts and concentrations. This is the entity that can be added to an experiment and tested. These records represent a physical container.
A plate is typically used in just one experiment.
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11. Plate Map
Plate Map - a blueprint record for how samples and controls will be placed in a plate - it is stored under the Plate Map Super Type
Defines the order the samples are filled in from the List Functions Page
Defines any replicates and their locations
Defines Positive and Negative controls needed for assay calculations
Defines how serial dilutions will be performed
Empty wells can be defined
Plate Maps are often reused to fill many plates and associated to many experiments
Plate Maps are the records that are used to fill plates. A Plate Map defines the order the samples are filled in when samples are being filled from the List Functions Page. It defines if replicates exist and identifies their locations. If your plate requires a serial dilution, the plate map defines which parent wells are used for dilutions and where the child wells are located.
If you have assays that require the LIMS to perform calculations such as IC50 values, the plate map can is used to define the locations of positive and negative controls and empty wells.
Since the Plate Map is more of a blueprint, it can be reused many times. Plate maps are usually used to fill many plates and can be associated to many experiments that require assay calculations.
Since you typically need a plate map created before you can define a plate, let’s take a closer look at how plate maps are created.
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12. Can I Define My Own Plate Maps?
Yes, if your administrator gives you access
A menu or gadget shortcut can be added to any application that you have access to
Remember, you do NOT need to create a new plate map for each plate
Check to see if one you can re-use already exists first
If you have a new plate layout and need to make a new plate map entity, be sure to name it well so others can find and use yours
How are Plate Maps Created?
Depending on your business needs, administrators may limit the permissions to create plate maps to a smaller number of users. If you have been granted access, your LIMS admin can provide a menu or gadget shortcut to one of your applications to navigate to the Create Plate Map page. An example menu is shown here, but may look slightly different in your customized system.
Remember, a new plate Map does not need to be created every time that you create a new plate. Once a Plate Map is created, it will be visible as a menu item in any pull down list of Plate Maps. This will allow you to reuse an existing plate map, instead of creating a new one each time. New Plate maps only need to be created the first time you run a non-standard plate format.
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13. Defining a New Plate Map
1) Type a descriptive name for pull-down menus (remember all users can see any active plate map)
2) Select a project
3) Click Create New
To define a new Plate Map, select the Type of plate map desired, and click on the create menu. On the Create New Plate Map page provide a descriptive name that will allow other users to distinguish this plate map from others. Remember that users may be selecting from several choices based only on a name so your name should describe the general layout (for example, you might add number of wells, number of replicates, direction wells are filled or location of controls to the name).
Select a project – This is a required field, so if no project is selected it will default to the General project by default.
If desired, you can change the colors used to display the positive and negative controls. The default is set to blue for negative and red for positive.
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14. Defining the Control Wells
If you need to return to this page, click on the function
To delete previously made assignments, the wells, choose empty, and select Fill Wells
Wells that are already assigned will be colored
3) Select Fill Wells to save it to the database
2) Select which control type
This will create a non-formatted plate map record. You can define the “blueprint” of this plate map using the 3 functions underneath the Functions drop down menu (Select Control Wells, Select Sample Wells, and Serial Dilutions). These steps are not required to be done in this order, but it is recommended.
The first step to defining your specific plate map is to select the Control Wells for your plate. By default, you will be on the page that allows you to define the control wells, but you can click on the ‘Step 1) Select Control Wells’ function if you need to return to this page.
First, you need to select which type of control you want to define.
To start, click on the blue negative control option, indicating that you are about to select the negative controls, and then check the select boxes in those cells that will represent the negative controls. Click on Fill Wells when you done to save your selections. The selected cells will turn blue to visually indicate that the controls that are negative. Do the same for the positive controls, selecting those cells that represent the positive wells. Clicking on Fill Wells will turn those cells red.
To return a cell back to the empty state, select the cell, click on Empty and then click on Fill wells. The cell will now be white to indicate an empty cell.
1) Select a group of wells that you want to assign as a control
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15. Defining the Sample Wells
Once all the controls are defined, click on the Step 2 function to get to this page
1) Decide what wells will receive samples at the highest concentration
2) Type in the ordinal number to define which wells the compounds in a list will be dispensed to (i.e. 1=the first compound in any given list, not SM1)
Now that the controls have been identified, the next step is to identify the sample wells. Click on the function: Step 2) Select Sample Wells. This will bring you to a slightly new plate map setup page. From here, you can identify where samples should be placed from a List Functions Page.
There are two ways to fill out this map.
The first method is if you are NOT doing serial dilutions. In the boxes, type in numbers indicating the order the plate should be filled. You can repeat the same number multiple times if you want to create duplicates. For example, wherever you enter a 2, the second sample in a list of samples will be filled in those wells that you define with 2 in the plate map.
If you are performing dilutions, then only identify those wells that will receive samples at the highest concentration by entering the number in the cell.
Once all sample wells have been identified, click on the Fill Wells button to save your entries. The filled wells will be colored blue.
3) Select Fill Wells when all the highest concentration wells are defined

16. Defining Serial Dilutions
Once starting sample wells are defined, click on the Step 3 function to get to this page
The starting sample wells that were defined in the last step will be colored blue
Remember: The dilution factor will be defined by the user during plate creation
2) Select Fill Wells to save the map to the database
The third function will direct you to a page that will help you map out serial dilutions and, therefore, is only needed if dilutions are something that you perform in your lab.
If you have performed the previous step and selected the sample wells with the top concentration, you should see those cells grayed out and labelled with a sample number preceded by a colon (For example, here we see well A1 has :S1 which will be one of the wells where the first sample will be placed). All of the unassigned wells will have open text boxes.
To define the dilutions, type in each of the text boxes the well number of the parent well (which is usually displayed just above the text box in the well) that you are diluting from. For example, if we type in 1 into the text box of well 2, we are indicating that some material will be transferred from well 1 into well 2 and well 2 will be diluted to a concentration that will be specified when the plate is created.
When you are done, click on the Fill Wells button to save your entries.
Note that we are NOT defining the amount that each well will be diluted by (this is often called a dilution factor) on the plate map now. The user will enter the specific dilution factor when they are creating the plate, so this plate map can be reused for many different dilution factors.
1) In every well that will be diluted from another well, type in the number of the parent well
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17. Reviewing the Plate Map
If there are no further edits, then this plate map is ready to use and is already available in any pull-down menus with lists of plate maps
Sample wells will be colored gray (any empty wells would be white)
To revise the parent well, type in the new number and select Fill Wells
Once you have finished defining the plate map, you can return to any of the previous steps by selecting the functions below the Function drop down menu to check your work. Filled sample wells will display as gray on the map, and any empty cells will show as white. The plate map is ready to use and is already available on any pull down menus with lists of plate maps.
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18. Editing a Plate Map
Use Edit icon to rename plate map or deactivate the record so it can be removed from pull-down menus
Click on relevant functions to edit controls, samples, or dilutions
If needed, you can always go back and make edits that may be required. You can navigate between the three setup pages by clicking on the three functions - Step 1) link, the Step 2) link, and the Step 3) link. Just always be cautious editing a plate map that has already been used in an experiment and or any that many other users are actively using. If you need to edit a popular plate map, it is probably best practice to copy the plate map record (using the copy icon in the main tool bar) and modify the copy as needed.
You can click on the orange Edit icon in the main tool bar to edit the plate map name and projects, and you can deactivate the plate map altogether, by clicking on the “Active” checkbox. This will remove the Plate Map from future pull down menus while not compromising past experiments.
Now that we understand the basics of Plate Maps, let’s move on to learn how to define Plates using a Plate Map.
Remember plate maps are shared by many users – only edit your own and do not edit much after it has been used in experiments
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19. Array Samples to Plates
Once plate maps are defined, you can take any list of sample lots and create plates from them
This is the Fill Pre-Created Containers creation workflow we described earlier
There are 2 major categories of plates:
Screening – all sample lots at a single concentration
Dose Response – sample lots are serially diluted to multiple concentrations
Each kind of plate has its own workflow for creating it
Note: Plate Category does NOT mean Container Type
For example, a 96 Well Plate can be either a Screening or a Dose Response plate
Let’s look at both plate categories in detail
Once plate maps are defined, plates can then be created from any list of sample lots using the array samples into containers option from any sample or lot list functions page. From a high level perspective, we are describing the Fill Pre-Created Containers creation workflow in more detail here.
When creating plates, they typically fall into two main categories: Screening Plates (Where all sample lots are at a single concentration) or Dose Response Plates (Where sample lots are serially diluted to multiple concentrations.
Each type of plate has its own workflow associated with its creation and we will look at both workflows shortly.
It’s important to understand that the Plate Category is not the same thing as a Container Type. These are different concepts. For Example, the container type called ‘96 Well Plate’ can produce entities that fall in either a Screening or Dose Response Plate category.
Let’s move on to look at both Plate Categories in more detail.
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20. Screening Plates
Screening Plate - a plate that has many different sample lots at a single concentration
May contain replicate samples
Typically used for high throughput screens
Most commonly created by arraying a list of samples or sample lots
If using a list of samples, Core LIMS will place material from the first lot of that sample into the new container record
If using a list of lots, Core LIMS will place material from the lot specified into the new container record
Screening plates can also be created from a batch sample registration, transfer from another screening plate, or other processes – we will just focus on arraying samples here
What is a Screening Plate?
A screening plate, is a plate that contains several different sample lots, all at a single concentration. Screening Plates may contain replicate samples and are typically used for high throughput screens.
Screening plates are typically created by arraying a list of samples or sample lots
If using a list of samples, Core LIMS will transfer the material from the first lot of that sample into the new container record.
If using a list of lots, Core LIMS will transfer the materials from the lot specified into the new container record.
Screening plates can also be created from a batch sample registration, or can be transferred from another screening plate, or other processes that may be defined in your lab. We will limit our discussion to focusing on arraying samples in the next few slides.
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21. How Do I Create a Screening Plate?
Look for a List Functions menu for the desired Entity Type (could be in any application your admin puts it)
Let’s take a look at the steps required to create a Screening Plate.
To begin, Screening Plates require samples or sample lots. Locate the List Functions menu item for the appropriate Sample Type that will be added to the Screening Plate.
For this example, let’s use the Enzyme sample type that we have worked with in earlier lessons.
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This example will create a plate of 20 samples in solution at a single concentration in duplicate
The material will come from parent vials with dry solids

22. Creating a Screening Plate
In the List Functions page, type, scan or paste in the list of molecules that you want to put into the plate (Note: You could also do a query first and transfer results here)
Core will assume the material is coming from the first container of the first lot (Or use the Lot List Functions instead if you want to specify which lots)
Select the radio button and the Submit button
Select the plate type, a relevant plate map, final volume, and final solution concentration
Locate the List Members Section at the top. Since we have navigated here directly, the box will be empty. From here, the user can type in or paste the needed Sample Barcodes that will be entered into the plate. Another common way to navigate to this page is to perform a query and forward the results from a Smart Table to this page. If you are forwarding a list from another page in LIMS the barcodes will be pre-populated in this section.
Note that it does not matter how many members you have in your list. The LIMS will create partial plates if you don’t have enough to fill every well and it will create multiple plates if you have more than one plate’s worth in your list.
Another point to note is that if you want to make replicates of your samples in your plate, you do NOT need to create the replicates in your list here. The replicates were defined in the plate map, so you only need to include one copy of the barcode in this list and the LIMS will automatically make copies of it in the appropriate wells.
Next, locate the Array Samples into Containers section. This is where the user can define the specifics of the containers that will be created during this process. The Container type is selected from a pre-populated drop down list of available Container Types. The Plate Map can be selected next, also available as a drop down item selection. Here we see the plate map we defined earlier as well as any other active plate records that other users have created. Since you are generally dealing with solutions when working with screening plates, enter the final concentration that all samples will be at and enter the volume of the solution in the amount text box.
Select the Radio button to the right of the option indicating that this function should be executed and click on the Submit button at either the top of the page or the bottom.
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23. Viewing the Screening Plate
You can select rows and send them to a List Functions Page or use buttons above (to print barcodes, change locations, etc.)
After clicking Submit, the user is brought to a Smart Table displaying the resulting plates just created. From here the user can print barcodes if needed, make any changes that may need to be updated, or simply click on the one of the resulting plate hyperlinks to view the plate details for a specific plate.
The resulting plate(s) will be shown in this Smart Table.
Click on a hyperlink to view the plate details.
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24. The Screening Plate Details
Click on an individual well to bring up full details and links to related records;
Mouse over a well to get a pop up with key values
Contents function will give a table of Wells, Sample-Lot IDs, concentrations, and volumes
Blue Color indicates filled wells
Gray Color indicates empty wells
The direction that plates are filled is defined by the plate map in the Array Samples pull-down menu on the List Functions page
When viewing the details of the plate, the user can see which wells are filled in the plate grid display. The color blue will indicate the wells that are currently filled. The gray cells indicate empty wells. If you click on an individual well, it will bring up the full details of the well, including links to related records. Hovering over the wells will provide the user with a pop up of the key data of the well, including the Sample Name, the concentration and current amount of material in the well.
The plate has been auto populated in the direction defined by the plate map that was selected in the Array Samples into Containers pull down menu back on the List Functions Page.
There is a Contents function available from this page that will provide the user with a table of wells, sample lot ID’s concentrations and volumes for reference. It is sometimes more convenient to read the contents in this tabular form than in the plate grid display on the main Container Details page.
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25. A Dose Response Plate
Dose Response Plate - a plate that has fewer different sample lots, but each sample lot is serially diluted to have wells at multiple concentrations
May contain replicate samples at each concentration
Data is used define a dose-response curve – you may have as many concentrations as you want to define the curve
Standard creation process involves 2 steps
Arraying the sample lots into the wells at the top concentration
Executing the serial dilution to fill wells at all lower concentrations
The layout direction of the dilution is defined by the plate map
The dilution factor is defined when the plate is created
Let’s move on now, and look at a Dose Response plate and how it differs from the Screening Plate.
A Dose Response plate typically has fewer different sample lots, but each sample lot is serially diluted to have wells at multiple concentrations. Does Response Plates may contain replicate samples at each concentration. The data for a Dose Response Plate is used to define a dose-response curve, so there can be as many concentrations as needed to further define the curve.
When creating a Dose Response Plate, there are typically 2 main steps to perform.
First, the sample Lots must be Arrayed into the wells at the top concentration location, and then Second, the serial dilution is executed to fill all of the wells at all lower concentrations. When filling the plate, the layout direction of the dilution is already defined on the plate map. However, the dilution Factor for each dilution must be defined now when the plate is created. This removes the need to create an excessive number of plate maps for every possible dilution factor and reduces potential user errors caused by selecting the wrong plate map.
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26. How Do I Create a Dose Response Plate?
This example will create a plate for 4 samples in solution at multiple concentrations (serial dilution) in duplicate
The material will come from parent vials with dry solids
Like the Screening plate, start by pasting in a list of Samples in the Sample List Functions page
So how is a Dose Response Plate created?
As was the case with the Screening Plate, Dose Response Plates require samples or sample lots. Locate the List Functions menu item for the appropriate Sample Type that will be used in the Screening Plate. For our example, we will use Enzymes as the sample type again. Just as before, locate the List Members section. From here, the user can type in or paste the needed Samples that will be entered into plates. This should generally be a much shorter list than a screening plate because each sample will be used in many more wells at various concentrations. As with screening plates, it does not matter how many samples are in your list since the LIMS will make the appropriate number of plates. Again, you also should only include one copy of the sample in your list since the LIMS will make the replicates defined in the plate map.
Once the list is populated, locate the Array Samples into Containers section, to define how the plate will be filled. Set the same properties as before. However this time you will be selecting a plate map that contains specific information about which wells are the starting wells and the dilution pattern.
For the concentration value, you should enter the starting or top concentration. If your samples do not have the same starting concentrations, enter the most common value and you can manually edit the starting concentrations as needed before performing the dilution.
Once your selections are made, don’t forget to select the radio button by the option and click on the Submit button.
The plate map will contain information about which wells are starting wells and which wells will be dilutions and fill appropriately
Concentrations and amounts will be applied for all samples in list, but you can edit them later
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27. Verifying Starting Concentrations
1) Follow hyperlink to see Plate Details
3) Click on Change to modify starting concentrations if necessary
2) Click on each cell to verify the samples are in the correct locations and starting concentrations are correct (or view Contents report)
The user will be brought to a Smart Table that lists all of the plates that were created. You can click on either the Name or the Barcode hyperlinks to view the Container Details of a specific plate. The plate will be filled per the settings defined in the Plate Map. Since this is a Dose Response plate, you should expect to see only the wells that hold the top concentrations filled at this time. To verify the samples are in the correct locations and that starting concentrations are correct, the user can hover their mouse over or click on each cell. They also have the option of viewing the Contents Report via the Contents function. If any changes need to be made, simply click into a well and click on the Change button at the bottom of the page to modify the starting concentrations or make other changes. There is also a change hyperlink on the Contents Report. You will want to make any changes to concentrations BEFORE you perform the serial dilution.
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28. Perform Serial Dilution
1) The first column is now blue since it has been filled
2) Click on the Serial Dilute function to enter information on how to dilute
3) Dilution instructions are encoded in the Plate Maps – select an appropriate map
4) Enter the dilution factor
5) Enter the final volume all wells should be diluted to
6) Hit the Serial Dilute button
Let’s move on and look at what is required to perform the serial dilution.
First, notice that the first column is blue. This indicates that these wells have already been filled in. Next, click on the Serial Dilute hyperlink to enter information on how to dilute the rest of the wells that are currently white and empty. The Dilution instructions are encoded in the Plate Map so it’s important that the correct Plate Map is selected. Enter a dilution factor. Each subsequent well on the map, will be diluted by this amount. Enter the Final Volume amount, which specifies the final volume all wells should be diluted to. Once all of the fields have been set, click on Serial Dilute.
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29. A Completed Dose Response Plate
Check the Contents report to see full table
The page will refresh displaying the updated plate. All of the filled in wells will show as blue, and those that remain empty will still be gray. The user can click on an individual well to see the specific well details, or the Contents Report is also available to view the contents listed in a tabular form. You should see a lineage pattern for a serial dilution as you move from cell to cell.
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Click on an individual well to see details – Notice the lineage pattern for a serial dilution
The filled sample wells are all blue

30. Review Continue to learn more about Containers
Inventory Management System – Manages and tracks the movement of samples between physical containers as well as the movement of those containers to physical locations within your business sites
Learned how to create Plate Maps
Learned how to create Screening Plates
Learned how to create Dose Response Plates
Continue to learn more about Containers
Inventory, Transfer Operations, Child container records
Here is a quick review of the topics that we covered in this lesson. Move onto Container Records when you are ready to continue.
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