LINA: a laboratory inventory system for oligonucleotides, microbial strains, and cell lines

In this article, we present the Laboratory Inventory Network Application (LINA), a software system that assists research laboratories in keeping track of their collections of biologically relevant materials. This open source application uses relational Microsoft Access database technology as a back end and a Microsoft .NET application as a front end. Preconstructed table templates are provided that contain standardized and customizable data fields. As new samples are added to the inventory, each is provided with a unique laboratory identifier, which is assigned automatically and sequentially, allowing rapid retrieval when a given reagent is required. The LINA contains a number of useful search tools including a general search, which allows database searches using up to four user-defined criteria. The LINA represents an easily implemented and useful organizational tool for biological laboratories with large numbers of strains, clones, or other reagents.