After talking about my top tips for starting in a (new) lab, it’s time to talk about something that can help you in your day-to-day life as a lab scientist.
Some apps exist to make your life easier in the lab, so here is a list of the best apps to get in the laboratory, whether you’re working in research or in a medical lab.
Best apps for a research lab
1) Communication
Slack
Slack is probably my most used app in the lab. It’s basically like Whatsapp but for the workplace, meaning it’s a fast and easy way to communicate with your team. There is a desktop and a mobile app, and it’s free !
It offers real-time messaging, file sharing, and integrations with various tools and services. With features like channels, threads, and customizable notifications, Slack enhances productivity by keeping conversations organized and accessible in the lab.
Features :
- Communicate with your team and organize your conversations by topics, projects, or anything else that matters to your work
- Message or call any person or group within your team
- Share and edit documents and collaborate
- Integrate into your workflow, the tools and services you already use including Google Drive, Salesforce, Dropbox, Asana, Twitter, Zendesk
- Easily search a central knowledge base that automatically indexes and archives your team’s past conversations and files
Links to Slack on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
2) Notekeeping
This one will depend if you’re using good-ol’ paper lab notebooks or if your PI already made the jump to Electronic Lab Notebooks. Nonetheless, there is a lot of apps available to take notes in the lab.
Unfortunately my lab is still stuck in the good-ol’ paper century so I cannot give you my experience with these until we get out of the stone age (I’m trying okay).
But here are the ones I hear about the most :
- Google Sheets : Links to the Apple App Store and Google Play
- Microsoft OneNote : Links to the Apple App Store and Google Play
- SciNote : Links to the Apple App Store and Google Play
- Evernote : Links to the Apple App Store and Google Play
3) Organisation
“Organisation” and “Research lab” do not always go together (looking at you lab rats writing notes on paper towels) but nonetheless, here are some apps you can get to stay organised.
Notion
Notion is a versatile productivity app that allows users to create and organize a wide range of content, including notes, documents, databases, and project plans. There is a customizable workspace where users can collaborate in real-time, integrate tools and media, and tailor their workflows to suit individual or team needs.
It’s the one I use for my daily tasks, and I can only recommend it !
Links to Notion on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Trello
I do not use Trello personnaly but I’ve heard good things. It’s the same principle as Notion, Trello is a visual tool for organizing your work and life.
You can use boards, cards and checklists to manage every tasks, Trello is infinitely customizable and flexible for your every need.
Links to Trello on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
4) Calculators
DailyCalcs Science Calculator App from Thermo Fischer Scientific
DailyCalcs is the app created by Thermofischer. As you probably guessed by its name, it’s extremely useful for all sorts of calculations in the lab.
Features :
- Molarity Calculator
- Dilution Calculator
- Molecular Weight Calculator
- Cell Culture Reference Charts
- Unit Converter
Links to DailyCalcs on the Apple App Store
Promega Biomath Calculator App from Promega
Promega’s calculator app is similar. The Biomath Calculators provide a range of functions essential to molecular biology experiments, including nucleic acid and protein conversions, melting temperature, temperature conversion, molarity and dilution calculations.
Features :
Nucleic Acid Conversions
- dsDNA: Micrograms to Picomoles Converter
- dsDNA: Picomoles to Micrograms Converter
- Oligos (ssDNA): Micrograms per Milliliter to Picomoles per Microliter Converter
- Oligos (ssDNA): Picomoles per Microliter to Micrograms per Milliliter Converter
- Linear DNA: Micrograms to Picomoles of Ends Converter
- Ligations: Molar Ratio of Insert to Vector Calculator
- OD260 Units of Nucleic Acid to Concentration
Protein Conversions
- Protein Molar Conversions Tool
- Coding Capacity of DNA Calculator
Calculators & Additional Conversions
- Dilution Calculator
- Molarity Calculator
- Temperature Conversions Tool
- Tm (Melting Temperature) Calculations for Oligos
Links to Biomath on the Apple App Store
5) Protocols
If you’re using an Electronic Lab Notebook, you can easily make and share your protocols. However, that’s not the case for us peasants stuck in medieval times.
If you need to use an app for protocols, you could use the Promega one.
The Promega Protocols app allows you to select and run protocols for a range of Promega kits. You can add notes and use timers during the protocol run, edit Promega Protocols to create your own custom protocols, or enter your own protocols and save them locally on your iOS device.
Features :
- Save records of protocol runs
- Add notes to protocol steps
- Create customized versions of Promega protocols
- Enter your own protocols
- Export (e-mail) a pdf file summarizing the details of completed protocols
Links to to Promega Protocols on the Apple App Store
6) Reading Papers
R Discovery
R Discovery is a free app for students and researchers to find and read research papers. It lets you identify the most relevant academic research papers from top journals and publishers. This reading app for research papers covers all major disciplines in the arts and sciences.
Links to R Discovery on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Zotero
Zotero is a free, easy-to-use research tool that helps you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share your work.
Features :
- Save journal articles, newspaper articles, books, webpages
- Automatically download article PDFs to read
- View and edit bibliographic information for your research items
- Read PDFs and add highlights and notes
- Instantly generate citations and bibliographies in over 10,000 formats and journal styles including APA, Chicago, IEEE, MLA, Turabian, and Vancouver.
- Collaboratively collect sources and mark up PDFs in group libraries with your colleagues
- Synchronize your personal and group research libraries to access them via Zotero’s desktop app and the Zotero website
- Use the Zotero desktop app to insert your annotations into Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs documents and automatically generate bibliographies from the sources you used
Links to Zotero on the Apple App Store
Best apps for a medical lab
Lab rats working in a medical laboratory can of course still use all of the apps above, but a medical laboratory involves specific needs as well.
1) LabGear
LabGear is the most advanced pocket tool for Medical Laboratory tests with peer reviewed content for all health care professionals (students, physicians, and nurses).
Features :
- Comprehensive library of medical lab tests with differential diagnosis and related symptoms
- Systems: Hematology (Blood Tests), Hormones, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Gastrointestinal, Nephrology, Tumor Markers, Pregnancy, Immunology
- Chemistry Panels: Basic Metabolic Panel, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Complete blood Picture, Arterial Blood Gases, Liver Panel, Lipid Profile, Coagulation Profile, Diabetic Profile, Urinalysis
Links to LabGear on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
2) Calculate by QxMD
Calculate by QxMD is a next-generation clinical calculator and decision support tool, freely available to the medical community. There is also a browser version.
‘Calculate’ highlights tools which impact clinical practice either by simplifying diagnosis, clarifying treatment options or displaying prognosis.
Features :
- Point-of-care tools in the areas of cardiology, internal medicine, primary care, nephrology, hematology, hepatology, gastroenterology, emergency medicine, oncology, orthopedics, critical care/ICU, ENT, radiology, rheumatology, mental health, respirology, neurology, pediatrics, infectious disease, neurosurgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, and obstetrics.
- Converts recent research publications into practical handheld tools – knowledge translation at its best
- Automatically adapts to your clinical practice
- Unique ‘Question Flow’ technology gets you answers, fast
- Detailed references with PubMed & Read integration
- More than 200 unique calculators and decision support tools
Links to Calculate the Apple App Store and Google Play.
3) Lab Values Reference
Medical Lab Values Reference is a free offline dictionary that provides all information about Medical Tests, Diagnostic Lab Test Values.
Features :
- Completely works offline and free to download.
- Trusted and used by doctors and medical students.
- Information regarding all Medical Lab Tests, Diagnostic Lab Test Values.
- Detailed reference guide including the ranges, test descriptions and differentials.
Links to Lab Values on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Conclusion
There you have it, a comprehensive list of apps to help get you through the day (and the night if you’re unlucky) in the lab!
Comment below if you have others apps to share!
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