Implementing QR codes in academia to improve sample tracking, data accessibility, and traceability in multicampus interdisciplinary collaborations

PLoS One. 2023 Apr 6;18(4):e0282783. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282783. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

The growing number of multicampus interdisciplinary projects in academic institutions expedites a necessity for tracking systems that provide instantly accessible data associated with devices, samples, and experimental results to all collaborators involved. This need has become particularly salient with the COVID pandemic when consequent travel restrictions have hampered in person meetings and laboratory visits. Minimizing post-pandemic travel can also help reduce carbon footprint of research activities. Here we developed a Quick Response (QR) code tracking system that integrates project management tools for seamless communication and tracking of materials and devices between multicampus collaborators: one school of medicine, two engineering laboratories, three manufacturing cleanroom sites, and three research laboratories. Here we aimed to use this system to track the design, fabrication, and quality control of bioelectronic devices, in vitro experimental results, and in vivo testing. Incorporating the tracking system into our project helped our multicampus teams accomplish milestones on a tight timeline via improved data traceability, manufacturing efficiency, and shared experimental results. This tracking system is particularly useful to track device issues and ensure engineering device consistency when working with expensive biological samples in vitro and animals in vivo to reduce waste of biological and animal resources associated with device failure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Quality Control

Grants and funding

This research was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Army Research Office, under Cooperative Agreement No. W911NF 18-2-0104, and the Department of Interior, Award No. D20AC00003. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.