On one side, large biological data sets allow to express strong analytical potentialities and to improve biomedical research results, on the other side they raise problems related to biological sample management, sample and data quality control, long term storage and preservation.

The project aims at implementing a Genomic Laboratory Information Management System (GLIMS) able to homogenize, formalize and integrate wet (sample management) and dry (data analysis) laboratory workflow processes, in order to

• improve research centre productivity and competitivity,
• improve laboratory process workflows,
• manage data provided by Next Generation Sequencing and Whole Genome Genotyping.

Three main objectives have been identified:

• workflow process formalization;
• ICT workflow support implementation;
• assessment and validation.

The GLIMS will include the following functionalities:

• management of macroprojects, projects, macrocustomers, customers, biological samples, plates, vials, batches, storages, consumables and study cohorts;
• tracking of biological sample management and processing;
• laboratory workflow support and tracking.

The GLIMS will improve the management of the activities related to the joint or singular provision of the following services:

• DNA extraction;
• DNA genotyping;
• DNA sequencing;
• gene expression.

The functionalities included will support both project administrative management and project operative management, with a specific focus on the activities related to the wet laboratory workflows (biological sample validation, error tracking, document management, etc.) and to the dry laboratory processes (statistical analysis, data aggregation and modeling, etc.).

The GLIMS will ultimately allow to manage the whole genomic data life cycle from biological sample registration to biological sample processing and data analysis.

A consolidated research group with a renowned academic and industrial profile.

• algoWatt SpA (IT)
• IMS – Istituto di Management Sanitario S.r.l. (IT)

in collaboration with

• Fondazione Filarete (IT)
• UNIL – Université de Lausanne (CH)