Lab workflows
Create and use SOPs
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in xPlant document repeatable laboratory procedures and keep them connected to your culture work. They help teams follow consistent steps while preserving a record of how procedures were carried out over time.
Why SOPs matter in tissue culture
Consistent procedures
Documented SOPs give team members a shared procedure to reference during repeated laboratory work, helping reduce unnecessary variation between operators.
Complete execution history
Each SOP log records when a procedure was carried out, who performed it, and the recorded outcome. The SOP detail page keeps these executions together as a reviewable history.
Onboarding and training
SOPs give new team members a documented procedure to reference before carrying out laboratory work. Execution logs also help teams review how procedures were performed over time.
Traceability for troubleshooting
When contamination or unexpected culture outcomes occur, SOP history can provide useful context about which procedure was used and whether any deviations were recorded.
Creating an SOP
Create an SOP from the SOPs section, then document the procedure with a clear name, description, and ordered steps. Add supporting notes or tags where they help provide context.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | A short, specific name, such as “MS Multiplication Subculture” |
| Description | What the procedure covers and when it is intended to be used |
| Steps | The procedure steps in the order they should be performed |
| Notes | Optional context, material requirements, cautions, or variant notes |
| Tags | Optional tags for organizing SOPs by stage, species, media, or other laboratory context |
Keep SOP names short and specific so they are easy to recognize when linking procedures to transfers and other laboratory records.
Logging an SOP execution
SOP executions can be recorded in two ways:
- From a transfer when an SOP is linked as part of that workflow, keeping the procedure context connected to the culture record.
- Directly from the SOP record for procedure executions that are not associated with a specific transfer.
| Log field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| SOP | The SOP that was performed |
| Executed on | When the procedure was carried out |
| Outcome | The recorded outcome of the execution |
| Notes | Procedure deviations, observations, or follow-up context |
| Linked transfer | Optional: the transfer associated with this execution |
Reviewing SOP history
Open an SOP to review its execution history, including recorded dates, outcomes, operators, and notes. This history helps you identify procedure changes, recurring deviations, and other context that may be useful when reviewing laboratory work.
Where SOP executions are linked to culture records, that context can help you review which procedures were associated with particular plants, explants, transfers, or later observations.