Abstract
BackgroundShared-usage high throughput screening (HTS) facilities are becoming more common in academe as large-scale small molecule and genome-scale RNAi screening strategies are adopted for basic research purposes. These shared facilities require a unique informatics infrastructure that must not only provide access to and analysis of screening data, but must also manage the administrative and technical challenges associated with conducting numerous, interleaved screening efforts run by multiple independent research groups.ResultsWe have developed Screensaver, a free, open source, web-based lab information management system (LIMS), to address the informatics needs of our small molecule and RNAi screening facility. Screensaver supports the storage and comparison of screening data sets, as well as the management of information about screens, screeners, libraries, and laboratory work requests. To our knowledge, Screensaver is one of the first applications to support the storage and analysis of data from both genome-scale RNAi screening projects and small molecule screening projects.ConclusionsThe informatics and administrative needs of an HTS facility may be best managed by a single, integrated, web-accessible application such as Screensaver. Screensaver has proven useful in meeting the requirements of the ICCB-Longwood/NSRB Screening Facility at Harvard Medical School, and has provided similar benefits to other HTS facilities.
Highlights
In the case of the ICCB-Longwood/NSRB screening facility [4] and [5] at Harvard Medical School, which was one of the first high throughput screening facilities established in academe, the informatics infrastructure had developed into an ad hoc, divergent set of independent web applications, databases, and file repositories
To support a high volume of interleaved screening projects, an high throughput screening (HTS) facility requires a sophisticated informatics and administrative infrastructure that may be best managed by a single, integrated, web-accessible application such as Screensaver
As Screensaver has proven useful in servicing the needs of the ICCB-Longwood/NSRB facility, it may provide similar benefits to other HTS facilities
Summary
We have developed Screensaver, a free, open source, web-based lab information management system (LIMS), to address the informatics needs of our small molecule and RNAi screening facility. Screensaver supports the storage and comparison of screening data sets, as well as the management of information about screens, screeners, libraries, and laboratory work requests. Screensaver is one of the first applications to support the storage and analysis of data from both genome-scale RNAi screening projects and small molecule screening projects
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