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In today’s fast-paced world of research and development, precision, reproducibility, and efficiency are essential. Every step in your sample management workflow, from specimen collection to long-term storage, impacts data integrity and the reliability of your research outcomes.
However, many laboratories still struggle with challenges like manual labeling errors, sample contamination, inefficient storage systems, and workflow bottlenecks that slow progress and inflate costs.
Azenta Life Sciences, available through Thomas Scientific, is helping research organizations overcome these challenges with smart, automated, and scalable solutions designed to ensure sample integrity and operational excellence across the entire workflow.
1. Starting Strong: Reliable Specimen Collection
Sample management begins the moment a specimen is collected. Errors introduced at this stage - such as mislabeling, contamination, or degradation - can compromise an entire research project.
Azenta’s FluidX™ 2D and Tri-coded tubes provide a smarter solution. Unlike traditional sticky labels that fade or peel, these laser-etched, automation-friendly codes are permanent and easy to read, even in harsh lab conditions.
Key advantages:
- Accurate, automation-ready identification eliminates human labeling errors
- High-contrast codes remain legible through freezing, thawing, and cleaning
- Reduced contamination risk thanks to fewer manual handling steps
For laboratories planning to scale up, implementing automation-compatible consumables like these early on helps ensure seamless growth without costly workflow disruptions later.
2. Eliminating Human Error: Automated Sample Registration & Tracking
Manual data entry is a leading cause of sample misidentification and tracking inefficiencies. Typing errors, duplicate entries, and lost labels all contribute to unreliable data and wasted resources.
To solve these issues, Azenta integrates 2D-coded and RFID technology with sample management systems such as FreezerPro®. This combination allows laboratories to digitize sample registration and achieve complete traceability.
To complete this digital workflow, Ziath barcode readers from Azenta provide rapid, reliable decoding of 2D-barcoded tubes and racks, instantly linking physical samples to their digital records in FreezerPro®. Designed for automation compatibility, Ziath readers deliver fast reading, accurate data capture, and seamless integration with laboratory information management systems, ensuring every sample is accounted for from the moment it’s scanned.
Benefits of digital sample tracking:
- Instant registration and retrieval through automated readers
- Seamless integration with LIMS for real-time visibility
- Full audit trails to ensure compliance with GxP and ISO standards
- Scalable infrastructure for biobanks and high-throughput research facilities
Transitioning to a digital tracking system not only saves time but also future-proofs your operations against scalability and compliance challenges.
3. Protecting Sample Integrity: Best Practices in Sample Storage
Even the most accurately collected and registered samples are at risk if they’re not stored properly. Temperature fluctuations, overcrowded freezers, and poor consumable quality can all jeopardize sample stability.
Azenta’s Better Storage Management program helps labs evaluate and optimize their current infrastructure, consolidating space and implementing smart, energy-efficient systems that reduce costs and carbon footprint.
Storage innovations include:
- High-density automated freezers that maintain stable temperatures and reduce door-opening events
- Cryo-compatible FluidX tubes designed for ultra-low and cryogenic storage
- RFID-enabled tracking that reads through frost and ice
- Standardized organization systems to prevent misplacement and reduce retrieval time
By optimizing sample storage, laboratories can improve efficiency, enhance sample protection, and extend the lifespan of valuable materials.
4. Increasing Throughput and Safety: Automated Sample Processing
Sample processing - including capping, decapping, and aliquoting - is one of the most repetitive and error-prone stages of the workflow. Manual processing introduces risks of contamination, sample loss, and ergonomic injury.
Azenta’s IntelliXCap™ series automates this critical step, improving speed and consistency while minimizing physical strain on laboratory personnel.
Performance highlights:
- Reduces processing time for a 96-tube rack from 14 minutes to under 30 seconds
- Minimizes contamination risk by limiting manual contact
- Improves reproducibility and sample sealing quality
- Lowers ergonomic risks such as repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome
Automation enables labs to reallocate staff to higher-value analytical tasks, improving both efficiency and employee well-being.
5. Future-Proofing Your Lab: Scaling Up with Confidence
As research programs expand, sample volumes and data complexity increase. Manual systems that once worked for small teams often become unsustainable at scale.
Azenta’s scalable approach to sample management allows laboratories to grow without overhauling existing workflows. By standardizing protocols, automating routine tasks, and integrating digital tracking systems, labs can maintain consistency, compliance, and reproducibility - even as they scale.
Scalable workflow best practices:
- Adopt automation-ready consumables early
- Implement standardized SOPs across collection and processing
- Use integrated software systems for storage and traceability
- Design workflows with future throughput in mind
By investing in scalable systems today, laboratories can avoid costly retrofits and ensure long-term operational excellence.
Why Choose Azenta Life Sciences Solutions from Thomas Scientific
Partnering with Thomas Scientific gives your lab access to Azenta’s full portfolio of workflow-enhancing technologies, from high-performance FluidX consumables to automation systems and digital management software.
Whether you’re optimizing a small research lab or expanding a large biobank, Azenta’s end-to-end solutions help you:
- Maintain sample integrity at every step
- Eliminate manual errors and inefficiencies
- Enhance compliance and data reliability
- Save time, space, and resources through automation
- Scale confidently for the future of research
Learn More
Discover how Azenta Life Sciences solutions available through Thomas Scientific can transform your lab’s workflow.
Explore products and request a FluidX sample pack today at Thomas Scientific.