Glossary
What is Sample tracking?
What Is Sample Tracking?
Sample tracking refers to recording and updating the exact whereabouts, condition, and history of samples as they move through collection, processing, storage, retrieval, experimentation, and disposal.
A robust tracking system must represent the true physical hierarchy of the lab, laboratories, storage areas, freezers, shelves, racks and boxes, reflecting the actual complexity of scientific environments.
Modern laboratory environments replace handwritten labels and spreadsheets with integrated digital systems such as LIMS, ELNs, and sample management platforms that centralize all sample information, ensure auditability, and reduce manual errors.
How Does Sample Tracking Work?
An effective sample tracking system typically includes:
- Unique sample identifiers (barcodes, QR codes, RFID) that eliminate ambiguity and prevent misidentification.
- Hierarchy-aware storage mapping, tracking each level from freezer to box and down to X-Y positions.
- Real-time updates on sample status, usage and location.
- Accurate free-space visibility, making it easy to know where new samples can be stored.
- Complete historical records showing chain of custody, handler identity, and usage events.
- Barcode label management with automatic ID ranges, duplication prevention, and one-scan access to full sample metadata.
Advanced systems prevent fragmentation by recommending available storage positions and enabling controlled consolidation of samples without introducing errors.
Why Use Sample Tracking & Its Importance
Robust sample tracking helps labs:
- Prevent sample misplacement, mix-ups, and redundancy
- Maintain compliance with regulatory bodies through complete audit trails
- Improve reproducibility and data integrity
- Reduce storage waste by identifying obsolete or redundant samples
- Optimize operational efficiency by eliminating manual searching and re-labelling tasks
Real consequences of poor tracking include failed audits, inability to transfer materials, excess freezer costs, and the risk of losing irreplaceable research assets, as demonstrated in the case study where Mosaic resolved hundreds of unidentifiable samples during a site closure.
Accurate sample tracking ensures that the right sample is always in the right place, with the right data, at the right time.
Cenevo’s Solutions for Sample Tracking
Cenevo offers Mosaic and Labguru to provide complete, AI-enabled sample tracking across the entire scientific lifecycle.
Mosaic: Physical SampleManagement & Logistics
Mosaic is Cenevo’s purpose-builtsample management platform for high-volume, high-integrity sample operations.
Leveraging concepts highlighted throughout the Guide, including barcode adoption, storage hierarchy accuracy, defragmentation tools, and audit trails, Mosaic enables:
- Accurate mapping of every freezer, rack, box, and plate well.
- Automated allocation of storage positions based on container type.
- Barcode-driven workflows to ensure correct picking, storage, and updating.
- Lifecycle tracking from sample creation to archival or disposal.
- Centralized, searchable inventory with expiry tracking and standardized labelling.
Labguru: Experiment-Centric Sample Context & Data Integration
Labguru connects samples to theexperiments, procedures, and results that use them.
It complements Mosaic by providing:
- A unified ELN, LIMS, and inventory system linking samples to protocol steps, measurements, and outcomes.
- Flexible inventory tools for tracking sample lineage, quantities, and usage.
- Integrated barcode generation and label printing.
- Full chain-of-custody tracking within experimental workflows.
Together, Mosaic and Labguru deliver both physical traceability and scientific context, ensuring total visibility into every sample’s origin, storage location, experimental usage, and lifecycle history.
Never lose track of a sample again.
Book a demo to see how real-time sample tracking elevates compliance, accuracy, and efficiency across your lab operations.
