The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is designed to automate the sample workflow associated with genotyping. The LIMS is a modular application built using open source software; each module corresponds to a step in the genotyping workflow. LIMS interfaces with laboratory instruments (Tecan robotics and ABI sequencers) through the creation of machine compatible files. The application functions as a sample tracking system with report generation capabilities. LIMS also incorporates quality measures, and data quality indicators such as date and time stamping attached directly to the data itself. Allele binning of raw SSR alleles is automated as a quality measure and a tutorial is available on how to use the entire system. Data captured through the LIMS feeds into the ICRIS database.

This LIMS meets the needs of a moderately high-throughput molecular genotyping facility. The beta testing of the LIMS system is in progress at ICRISAT. The data producers have uploaded genotyping data into the system for the composite core collections of chickpea, sorghum and pearl millet. The application functionality and user interfaces continue to be modified to suit user requirements. With the addition of a few functional modules, the application was successfully transferred to Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BeCA) facility in Nairobi, Kenya and IITA-Ibadan, Nigeria.

LIMS versions are available for download from the project web page www.icrisat.org/gt-bt/lims/lims.asp

For further details contact :Jayashree Balaji