In lab environments, sample tracking and inventory management are critical to ensure data accuracy, compliance, and operational efficiency. Manifest templates and manifests for plates and boxes streamline these processes, allowing lab professionals to manage sample information effectively. This guide walks through the creation and editing flows for manifest templates and manifests, the assignment of samples, and how these templates can be included in the template library.
Manifest
In Scispot, manifests are assay plates or storage boxes in various configurations, such as 96/384-well plates, and 10x10/9x9 boxes respectively. It organizes essential details like well layout and sample types, enabling streamlined tracking and management of lab assets.
Create/ Add a Manifest Template
A manifest template offers a reusable format that labs can replicate for future manifests, ensuring consistency and saving time.
A. Create Manifest template from the home page
You can create a new Manifest directly from the Home page
Click Create New on the Home page.
Select Create Manifest.
Enter a name for the Manifest template.
Choose the Manifest type: Well Plates or Boxes.
If you choose Well Plates:
Select the plate size (6-well, 12-well, etc.).
Optionally choose a default table view format.
If you choose Boxes:
Select the box dimensions (4×4, 6×4, etc.).
Optionally choose a default table view format.
Click Next.
9. When you click "Next" for Well Plates, you'll also be able to assign standards, positive/negative controls, and blanks to selected wells in your manifest.
10. Save to Template Library: Click "Create Template" to make this manifest layout available for future use by any team member needing a standardized format.
B. Create/ Add Manifest Template from the Manifest home page.
Click Labsheets from the left navigation panel.
On the top-right corner, click Manifests.
You will be able to view existing Manifests and Manifest Templates.
Click '+ Manifest Template' to create a new Manifest template.
Enter a name for the Manifest template.
Choose the Manifest type: Well Plates or Boxes.
If you choose Well Plates:
Select the plate size (6-well, 12-well, etc.).
Optionally choose a default table view format.
If you choose Boxes:
Select the box dimensions (4×4, 6×4, etc.).
Optionally choose a default table view format.
Click Next.
When you click "Next" for Well Plates, you'll also be able to assign standards, positive/negative controls, and blanks to selected wells in your manifest.
Save to Template Library: Click "Create Template" to make this manifest layout available for future use by any team member needing a standardized format.
Edit a Manifest Template:
Editing a manifest template involves updating the reusable format for future manifests without affecting current ones.
Navigate to the Manifest template library:
Click "Labsheets" in the left navigational panel.
From the top right of the page, click "Manifests" to see the Manifests dashboard.
Navigate to "Manifest Templates" from the top left of the page.
Select the Template to Edit: Select your specific template from the gallery or search for it by name in the top left search bar.
Click into your Template and hit "Edit Template": Here, you can edit everything about your template, from the title, to the description, to well-plate/box types.
Click "Save Template": Now your changes will be saved in the template use by any team member.
Note: Editing a template will not retroactively affect existing manifests created with that template; changes apply only to new manifests generated from it.
Access a Manifest Template from Template Library
Navigate to Labsheets dashboard: Click "Labsheets" in the left navigational panel.
Navigate to Manifests dashboard: From the top right of the page, click "Manifests" to see the Manifests dashboard.
Navigate to Manifest Templates tab: Click "Manifest Templates" from the top left of the page.
Find your template: Search and select your template of interest.
Click "Use template": Here you can fill out the Manager, Name, and ID fields. You are also able to assign the manifest to a location here.
Click "Save New Manifest": Now you can edit the manifest based on the template you created! Any edits applied here will not affect the original template.
Create/Add a Manifest Plate/Box:
A. Create/ Add Manifest from Manifest dashboard.
Navigate to Manifest dashboard: Click 'Labsheets' in the left navigational panel. From the top right of the page, click 'Manifests' to see the Manifests dashboard.
Click "+ Manifest": Select a template from which you will make your new manifest. You can filter between boxes and well plate manifest templates.
Once a template is selected, click "Use template": Here you can fill out the Manager and Name fields, and verify the ID by clicking the checkmark. You are also able to assign the manifest to a location here.
B. Create/ Add Manifest from Labflows.
Creating a new Manifest from Samples tab of Labflows
Click Labflows from the left navigation panel.
From the top-left corner, click Samples.
List of samples will be displayed.
Select one or more samples.
In the floating toolbar, click Location Manager.
Set Location Source to Add New Location.
Enter a name for the new location.
Under Location Type, choose the Manifest type you want to create: Root Location, Plate, or Box.
If you choose Root Location:
Select the location sub-type.
If you choose Well Plates:
Select the well plate template.
Optional: Assign a parent location for the plate.
f you choose Boxes:
Select the box template.
Optional: Assign a parent location for the box.
Click Move Items.
The manifest is created and you can visit the manifest by clicking on the link.
Creating a new Manifest from a Labflow
Click Labflows from the left navigation panel.
Your list of Labflows will appear.
Open an existing Labflow.
Or, click Create Flow in the top-right to create a new one.Inside the Labflow, go to Samples.
Click Import Samples.
Select the samples you want to add to this Labflow.
Click Add Samples.
Create aliquots for the samples by selecting one or more samples.
In the Sample Labsheet, click the Create Children icon in the bottom-right corner.
Enter the number of children (aliquots) to create.
Click Create Children.
Once aliquots are created, Assign Locations becomes available.
Click on Assign Location.
Set Location Source to Add New Location.
Enter a name for the new location.
Under Location Type, choose the Manifest type you want to create: Root Location, Plate, or Box.
If you choose Root Location:
Select the location sub-type.
If you choose Well Plates:
Select the well plate template.
Optional: Assign a parent location for the plate.
f you choose Boxes:
Select the box template.
Optional: Assign a parent location for the box.
Click Move Items.
The manifest is created and you can visit the manifest by clicking on the link.
Edit a Manifest Plate/Box:
Once a manifest is created, editing to accommodate sample updates or reorganization within plates or boxes is easy!
Select the Desired Manifest: Choose from the Recents list, or search and select from the manifest dashboard. The manifest will open in the same tab.
Edit a Manifest: Feel free to rename the manifest, rearrange and add new samples from a labsheet, view the Table tab -- whatever your lab needs to be done!
Assigning Samples to a Manifest
Assigning samples to a manifest can happen both from the manifest page itself or directly from a labsheet, depending on workflow needs.
A. Assign samples directly from the Manifest:
Open the Manifest
Select 'Add Samples': In the top right tool bar, click "Add Samples" to open the Tools sidebar
Click "Choose Samples": Select the desired labsheet and check the entries to add to the manifest.
Add, remove, and rearrange samples
B. Assign samples to a Manifest from a Labsheet:
Select Samples from Labsheet: Open the labsheet containing relevant samples and choose samples to add to the manifest.
Assign to Manifest: In the floating toolbar, select "Checkout". Then select a specific manifest to which you want to send your selected samples.
Use Tags: You can also add tags to your sample data. Tag colors can be customized using the color selector. Tagging helps group samples or visually distinguish them.
To add a tag to your Manifest data:
Open your Manifest.
Under the 'Well Plate' section, click on 'Manage Labels'.
On the left side, a panel for adding labels and tags will be opened. Go to the Tags section.
Click Add to create a new tag.
Enter a tag name.
Choose a color by clicking the color icon. You can pick a preset color or select a custom color.
Once the tags are created, Select the wells or samples you want to tag.
Upon selection, a floating toolbar will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click the Tag icon.
Select the tag you want to apply.
Close the toolbar.
You will now see the tag applied to the selected wells or samples.
Note: Sample metadata can now be seen by clicking on the sample well. The metadata shows the sample information as well as any labels or tags that belong to that well.
Assigning a Manifest to a Location
Assigning a manifest to a location is essential, as it enables scientists to visually track where assay plates or storage boxes are placed. This organization improves accessibility, reduces errors in sample handling, and streamlines lab workflows.
Steps to follow:
Go to the Manifest Home Page.
Open your preferred manifest.
Click the Location option from the top-right panel.
Choose the location where you want to place the manifest.
Save your changes—this assigns the manifest to the selected location.
This setup provides a clear map of storage and experimental assets, enhancing lab efficiency and organization.
Assigning a Manifest template to Protocol/Experiment Templates (Labspace Template Library)
Assigning a manifest template to the Template Library enables seamless access to standardized templates, supporting consistency across protocols and experiments. This approach ensures that lab teams have quick, organized access to essential templates, enhancing productivity and uniformity in lab procedures.
Steps to follow:
Expand the left navigation bar and click Labspace.
From the top right corner, click Template Library.
Find your preferred protocol or experiment template:
Click the three dots on the template card.
Select Edit to open the template.
Inside the Protocol/Experiment Template page:
Type
\Manifest Template. Hit enter or select it from the dropdown.Choose your preferred manifest template from the list.
Finalize the template by selecting the 'Insert' option.
Note: Manifest templates can only be added to Template Library pages, not to Labspace protocol/experiment pages.
Assigning a Manifest to Labspace
Assigning a manifest template to Labspace allows standardized templates to be easily accessible, supporting consistency and efficiency across lab protocols and experiments. There are two ways to assign a manifest:
Auto-Assign via Template: If you create protocols or experiments from a template that already includes a manifest template, the manifest will automatically be part of your Labspace page.
Manual Assignment: If your protocol or experiment doesn’t have an assigned manifest, follow the steps below to add one manually.
Steps to Manually Assign a Manifest to Labspace:
Go to your preferred Labspace.
Locate and open the desired protocol or experiment page.
Inside the Protocol/Experiment page:
Type
\Manifest. Hit enter or select it from the dropdown menu.Choose your preferred manifest from the list.
Finalize the assignment by selecting the 'Insert' option.
This organized setup ensures that manifest templates are readily available in Labspace, streamlining workflows and maintaining consistency.
Summary
This guide outlines the structured flow of creating, editing, and managing manifest templates and manifests in a lab setting. Each step—from initial creation to assignment within storage locations—enhances the efficiency of lab workflows and ensures data traceability. By establishing a well-organized manifest system, labs can standardize sample tracking across plates and boxes, allowing for quicker sample retrieval and better lab inventory control.