Protocols

Protocols and SOPs — what's the difference?

Tissue culture protocols describe how a procedure can be performed, while Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) document how your lab performs it in practice. In xPlant, SOPs help turn protocol steps into reusable procedures that can be referenced alongside transfers and other lab records.

Protocol vs SOP

Both protocols and SOPs can describe a sequence of laboratory steps, but they usually serve different purposes.

ProtocolA reference for how a procedure can be performed. A tissue culture protocol describes materials, conditions, and steps for a procedure. It may come from research literature, a supplier, another lab, or your own experiments, and often needs adaptation for a particular species, cultivar, equipment, or lab environment.

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)How your lab documents a repeatable procedure. An SOP records the procedure your lab intends to follow consistently. In xPlant, SOPs can organize steps and notes and provide reusable context for related lab work and records.

Practical takeaway: Practical takeaway: A published tissue culture protocol can be a useful starting point. Adapt it to your lab's materials, equipment, plant material, and workflow, then document the resulting procedure as an SOP in xPlant. The protocol is your reference; the SOP is your practice.

Why log protocols as xPlant SOPs

Turn protocol steps into a reusable SOP

Organize the steps you use at the bench into a procedure your team can reference again. This helps keep important materials, conditions, notes, and workflow context together.

Keep procedure context with your lab records

Reference SOPs alongside related tissue culture work so you can later understand which procedure was associated with a transfer, stage, or observation.

Review and refine your lab methods

As your team records observations and outcomes, your SOP history can provide useful context when comparing workflows and deciding whether a procedure should be updated.

Common tissue culture protocols

Tissue culture protocols vary by plant species, explant type, stage, equipment, and lab conditions. Common procedures that labs may document include:

Surface sterilization Media preparation Initiation (explant establishment)Multiplication and subculture Contamination observation and handling Acclimatization and hardening

Building an SOP from a tissue culture protocol

1
Start with a documented protocol
Begin with a protocol from a research paper, supplier documentation, or your lab’s own validated bench notes. Adapt it to the plant material, equipment, media, and conditions used in your lab.
2
Create a new SOP in xPlant
Go to SOPs → New SOP. Choose the SOP status and category, then add a clear title and purpose. You can also assign a document type, review date, and reviewer when those controls are useful for your lab.
3
Build the procedure step by step
Add each action as an individual SOP step in the order it should be performed. Add timing, notes, warnings, equipment, and other supporting details where they help someone follow the procedure consistently.
4
Add the context your team needs
Set an estimated procedure time and add equipment, additional notes, tags, or supporting images as needed. Keep the SOP specific to how the procedure is actually performed in your lab.
5
Save and refine the SOP over time
Save the SOP so your team can reference it as part of your tissue culture workflow. As you collect observations and results, use that lab context to refine the procedure rather than treating the original protocol as a guaranteed outcome.

Ready to document your protocols?

Head to your SOPs dashboard to create your first procedure, or read the sterilization guide for a sample protocol to start with.

Go to SOPs Sterilization protocol →

Building an SOP from a tissue culture protocol

Start with a documented protocol

Begin with a protocol from a research paper, supplier documentation, or your lab’s own validated bench notes. Adapt it to the plant material, equipment, media, and conditions used in your lab.

Create a new SOP in xPlant

Go to SOPs → New SOP. Choose the SOP status and category, then add a clear title and purpose. You can also assign a document type, review date, and reviewer when those controls are useful for your lab.

Build the procedure step by step

Add each action as an individual SOP step in the order it should be performed. Add timing, notes, warnings, equipment, and other supporting details where they help someone follow the procedure consistently.

Add the context your team needs

Set an estimated procedure time and add equipment, additional notes, tags, or supporting images as needed. Keep the SOP specific to how the procedure is actually performed in your lab.

Save and refine the SOP over time

Save the SOP so your team can reference it as part of your tissue culture workflow. As you collect observations and results, use that lab context to refine the procedure rather than treating the original protocol as a guaranteed outcome.