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A lot of thought and planning needs to go into creating a new mouse model for your study, or simply purchasing an existing line from a company or repository. However, once you receive your mice, you may be faced with a whole new challenge: mouse colony management.
If your lab isn’t already using specialized software, you may be keeping track of your mice using a spreadsheet or a program like Microsoft Access, which can be confusing or lead to inaccurate data. As your mouse colony grows, you may find that a static spreadsheet doesn’t give you the flexibility to stay organized and monitor the lab mouse cages in your facility.
It may be time to invest in a colony management software solution for your lab. You’ll be able to keep track of your animals and maintain your colony over time, giving you more time and resources to focus on your research project. You can also ensure that your lab will be in compliance with animal welfare laws.
For many labs at academic institutions, SoftMouse.NET is their colony software of choice. Not only is it easy to use, but it’s also affordable with a “forever free” option for individual users. This is ideal for smaller labs that need to track relational data between their mice and supplies, but may not have the budget or resources for more advanced features.
SoftMouse also has a “premium” option that’s available with a 30-day free trial. With this paid version, it’s possible to create breeding schemas, receive email alerts, view family trees, upload files, view statistics and reports, and plan experiments. However, no matter which plan you choose, you can enjoy free, unlimited technical support.
One ResearchGate user noted, “I can now do everything in one system and about 75% faster than with my Access program.” Another said, “What I like the most about it is the easy and intuitive interface, so intuitive that even my less tech-lover colleagues rapidly adapted to the new system.” Even here at ingenious targeting laboratory, we use SoftMouse to keep track of the lab mice housed in our vivarium.
SoftMouse is available on both desktop and mobile, giving users the convenient option to work remotely.
The goal of PyRAT, a web-based mouse colony management system, is to help labs simplify their processes and save money. Its features make it easy to bill and invoice, visualize data, and stay in compliance with legislation. Other features support mouse breeding charts, mouse genotyping services, ordering services and supplies, and more. Available to users globally, this animal facility software offers language support in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Not only is PyRAT user-friendly, but it also stores all of its data in a central database for added security. This allows users to conveniently access their data from anywhere. You can try PyRAT out for yourself by requesting a free private demo.
For over 15 years, mLIMS has provided convenient mouse breeding colony management solutions. It’s a powerful and user-friendly software that stores all of its real-time data in the cloud. It’s also optimized for mobile devices. Its goal is to help labs streamline their workflows to ultimately save time and money. The program is designed to allow users to complete multiple processes with one workflow, instead of accessing several different menus.
There are multiple versions of mLIMS available, including: mLIMS for Researchers, mLIMS Enterprise, mLIMS Facility, mLIMS Complete, and mLIMS for Biotech. They each have their own features and pricing model. However, across the board, all user types can access animal and lab mouse cage tools, breeding tools and protocol management. Other general features include email notifications, built-in reporting, and protocol tracking.
A free trial is available for academic researchers. Scientists in biotech and commercial labs, organizations, and core facilities can schedule a demo to try mLIMS out.
Climb™ 2.0’s software was developed to help labs in biotech, pharma, CRO, and academic spaces manage their overall studies. Colony management and veterinary care are just some of the main features, alongside biological sample management and study and protocol management. Others include animal welfare compliance, data delivery, and remote study planning and scheduling. Climb™ has also partnered with Scientist.com to allow users to remotely order scientific materials.
Because biotech and academic labs have their own unique needs, it’s crucial to evaluate exactly what features you need to manage your mice. RockStep Solutions has prepared a special “Climb-A™” introductory package for research & development labs, offering the most optimized features specifically for mouse colony management.
To find out if Climb-A™, or Climb™’s full suite of features, would be a good fit for your lab, you can schedule a demo with their experts.
Compared to other mouse colony software options on this list, Mausoleum is a newer option. It has a simple interface and runs on Java, compatible with Windows, OSX, and Linux. Mausoleum was designed with mouse labs’ existing workflows in mind, making it easy to use. It also offers drag-and-drop features, automatic lab mouse cage detection for breeding, and accurate graphical representations of your colony. Plus, you can set the exact privileges for each user in your lab to better represent their job roles.
Mausoleum can be purchased for a one-time server license fee. Additional client licenses are also available.
Before trying out any of the software options we’ve discussed here, you can get a headstart on your mouse colony with our exclusive Breeding Planner. This free software allows you to create a fully customized breeding plan before your mice arrive at your facility. Our guided software will help you predict the time and cost of your complete project, based on your strain’s breeding performance and your facility’s operating costs. You can also quickly compare different breeding options with the graphical output feature.
We hope you’ve found this article to be helpful and that you’re able to choose the ideal lab animal management software for your lab!
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