A
Accessioning
The controlled process of formally logging and registering every biological sample into the lab’s LIMS, creating a unique identifier that anchors all downstream activities. Accessioning captures critical details—time, source, collector, and sample type—serving as the backbone for traceability, chain of custody, and compliance. Biotech and diagnostic labs rely on precise accessioning to support regulatory audits and error-free sample processing.
Accreditation
An external validation that a laboratory’s practices, processes, and results meet recognized technical and quality standards. Common frameworks include ISO 17025 (testing labs), CLIA (U.S. diagnostics), and ISO 15189 (clinical labs). A modern LIMS, like Scispot, centralizes documentation, proficiency data, and evidence for rapid accreditation renewals and on-site audits.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Machine learning, pattern recognition, and smart automation applied across laboratory workflows. In LIMS, AI is used for automated QC flagging, anomaly detection in assay trends, instrument maintenance prediction, and intelligent sample routing—all reducing manual oversight and driving lab efficiency. Scispot incorporates AI modules for predictive analytics, helping labs optimize turnaround times and flag process deviations faster.
ALCOA+
The fundamental data integrity standard in GxP-compliant labs: Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, and Accurate, and extended with Complete, Consistent, Enduring, and Available. Every LIMS used in regulatory biotech or diagnostics should enforce ALCOA+ with immutable audit trails, version history, and role-based access. Scispot’s audit modules are ALCOA+ native and support seamless compliance evidence export.
Allotrope
A set of universal data formats and frameworks developed by the Allotrope Foundation to improve lab interoperability. Allotrope-compliant LIMS facilitate seamless integration with data lakes, ELNs, and analytics platforms, enhancing data exchange for multi-instrument and multi-vendor labs.
Analyst
A laboratory professional who performs analyses on samples, enters results, and often interacts most intensively with the LIMS. High-performing LIMS platforms streamline analyst workflows with smart UI, automated calculations, and integrated instrument data import.
Analyte
Any chemical, biomolecule, or organism being detected or quantified in laboratory assays. In molecular, biotech, and clinical settings, clear analyte tracking in LIMS ensures reliable analysis pipelines and regulatory compliance.
API (Application Programming Interface)
Technical bridges that let a LIMS communicate with instruments, ERP, ELN, or other lab and business platforms. Biotech and diagnostics users benefit from robust LIMS APIs for automating workflows, enabling direct instrument data capture, and integrating with analytics or reporting tools. Scispot provides open, well-documented, and secure REST APIs designed for rapid biolab integration.
Application Server
The underlying service layer that hosts core LIMS functionality, enabling secure access to workflows, data, and rules engine from web or thick clients.
AR (Augmented Reality)
Emerging in advanced labs, AR interfaces can overlay virtual instructions, real-time data, or SOPs on physical equipment during sample prep, with direct logging back into the LIMS for compliance tracking.
Array Management
Tracking, scheduling, and quality controlling the use of arrays and microplates, crucial for genomics, screening, and diagnostics labs handling high-throughput samples. LIMS with built-in array support minimize cross-contamination and automate result association.
Assay Management
LIMS functionality dedicated to planning, recording, executing, and validating laboratory assays. For biotech and diagnostics labs running complex, multi-step analyses, efficient assay management in the LIMS ensures reproducibility, accuracy, and easy regulatory documentation.
ASTM Standards
ASTM International develops consensus standards (e.g., ASTM E1578 for LIMS), which provide consistent frameworks and best practices for lab software in high-compliance environments. A LIMS adhering to ASTM standards is preferred for regulated biotech labs.
Attachment
Any file (raw data, QC chart, protocol version) associated with a LIMS record for review or audit. Attachments should be securely stored and versioned.
Audit
A systematic review by regulators, clients, or internal QA to confirm that lab practices, records, and results adhere to necessary standards. LIMS audit modules streamline both the preparation and process, surfacing any gaps in compliance.
Audit Trail
A digital, time-stamped log of every critical action—sample edits, test result changes, data deletion—captured automatically by the LIMS. An audit trail is non-negotiable for any lab facing CLIA, ISO, or FDA scrutiny, as it guarantees traceability, responsibility, and protection against data tampering. Scispot offers granular audit trail functionality allowing real-time retrieval of log histories for investigations or compliance reporting.
Automated Data Capture
The process of using barcodes, RFID, IoT sensors, or instrument APIs to feed data into the LIMS at the point it is generated, ensuring accuracy, reducing manual labor, and enabling real-time decision making.
Automation
Rule-based and AI-based automation within a LIMS powers process scheduling, result calculation, sample routing, inventory checks, compliance warnings, and even auto-reporting. Automation in Scispot’s LIMS is highly configurable for biotech R&D and diagnostics workflows, enabling labs to scale efficiently without increasing headcount.
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
A leading cloud computing platform used to host cloud-based LIMS systems. For globally distributed biotech labs, hosting a LIMS on AWS (with proper validation) ensures resilient, secure, and scalable access.
B
Barcode
A scannable label or digital tag used for tracking each sample, reagent, or batch across its complete lifecycle. In biotech and diagnostics settings with high sample volume and regulatory requirements, a LIMS with robust barcode integration (including 2D codes and RFID) ensures traceability, minimizes human error, and ties every process step together.
Batch
A collection of samples or reagents processed together in a single workflow, often under identical conditions (such as NGS libraries, PCR runs, or reagent mixing). The LIMS must track batch composition, QC, and status, ensuring full traceability in case of re-analysis or recall.
Batch Processing
Simultaneous processing of multiple samples or groups according to identical protocols, increasing throughput in molecular biology and biomanufacturing. LIMS batch tools support optimal scheduling and automate deviation flagging.
Base Computing Unit
Standardized computing resource unit (CPU, RAM) used to plan cloud or hybrid LIMS deployments, especially when scaling to thousands of users or instruments.
Biospecimen
Any biological material analyzed or stored by a testing lab, including cells, blood, DNA, or tissue. Comprehensive LIMS platforms provide chain of custody, consent tracking, and storage management for every biospecimen.
Biobank
A dedicated facility and/or software module for systematic storage, annotation, and use of biospecimens in longitudinal research or diagnostic populations. With Scispot, biobanking modules include consent management, freezer mapping, and ISBER-aligned best practices.
Biobank Information Management System (BIMS)
Specialized LIMS focused on end-to-end biobank operations: sample intake, compliance, chain of custody, inventory, and distribution management.
Bioinformatics
The use of computational algorithms and software to analyze, visualize, and interpret biological data, commonly used in genomics and sequencing labs. A modern LIMS seamlessly integrates with bioinformatics analysis pipelines to unite wet-lab sample management and dry-lab data science.
Bioreactor
Specialized vessel used in biomanufacturing for cultivating cells, microbes, or tissues. LIMS platforms monitor all bioreactor process parameters and organize sample testing conducted at stages of the run.
Biorepository
A repository for the organized storage and sharing of biospecimens, often used in translational research and clinical trials. Biorepositories require LIMS with advanced inventory, consent, and tracking features.
Blockchain
A distributed, cryptographically secure ledger, increasingly adopted to safeguard data integrity and secure chains of custody in GxP and research lab environments. In biotech and diagnostics, a blockchain-enabled LIMS provides transparent, tamper-resistant records for audit and provenance.
Browser-Based LIMS
A LIMS accessed entirely via modern web browsers, supporting decentralized work, mobile device use, and remote collaboration for labs or research teams.
Business Continuity
The combined IT and process planning for maintaining laboratory operations during disruptions, such as outages, disasters, or pandemics. Cloud-based LIMS with automated failover, such as Scispot, are engineered for high business continuity.
Business Intelligence (BI)
A suite of analytical reporting and data visualization tools that empowers labs to track trends, productivity, error rates, and customer metrics. Effective LIMS embedding BI for biotech labs enables leadership to make evidence-based efficiency and strategy decisions.
C
Calibration
The procedure of verifying, adjusting, and documenting that instruments generate results within accepted tolerances, typically against certified standards. For ISO 17025, CLIA, and GMP compliance, LIMS solutions track calibration schedules, lockout-of-spec devices, and maintain auditable records. Scispot offers fully digital calibration management integrated with real-time maintenance triggers.
CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action)
A regulated process for investigating, rectifying, and documenting root causes of non-conformance or adverse events. LIMS platforms with built-in CAPA tools help streamline incident response, support regulatory reporting, and ensure continual improvement.
CDS (Chromatography Data System)
Specialized lab software (or integrated LIMS module) that collects, interprets, and manages chromatographic data (e.g., from HPLC, GC), crucial for chemical, pharma, and biotech labs.
CFR (Code of Federal Regulations)
A collection of all federal rules and regulations in the U.S. Major sections for labs using LIMS include 21 CFR 11 (electronic records) and 21 CFR 211 (GMP).
Chain of Custody
The meticulous record of possession, movement, and handling of samples or controlled materials. Labs in diagnostics, biotech, and regulated testing use LIMS-driven chain of custody logs as legal proof of sample integrity and to safeguard against tampering or mix-ups. Scispot allows full digital, timestamped audit logs and robust permission controls.
Change Control
A regulated, documented process for modifying workflows, master data, or system configurations to ensure that all changes are risk-assessed, approved, traceable, and reversible. Change control within a LIMS is essential for ISO, GMP, and CLIA labs to maintain data integrity and consistent operations.
Cheminformatics
Use of computational tools, data mining, and predictive models to analyze and visualize chemical information (e.g., reaction pathways, compound libraries). Integration between LIMS and cheminformatics enables efficient screening and selection in drug development.
Chromatogram
The visual output of a chromatography analysis. LIMS solutions with spectral data capabilities import chromatograms from CDS or instruments, tie them to samples, and make results searchable for QA audits.
Clinical Diagnostics
The field of medical testing on biological samples for disease diagnosis, screening, or management. A clinical diagnostics LIMS supports patient/sample linkage, order entry, automated result delivery, and regulatory documentation.
CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)
U.S. federal standards governing non-research lab testing on human specimens, with robust quality, competency, and recordkeeping requirements. CLIA-certified LIMS must strictly enforce user competency, proficiency testing, QC/QA rules, and incident management.
Client Portal
A secure, web-based interface for lab customers or collaborators to submit orders, download results, review invoices, or monitor testing progress. Scispot alt-LIMS includes a configurable client portal designed for biotech trial sponsors and diagnostic providers.
Cloud-Based LIMS
LIMS architecture hosted in distributed data centers rather than on a local server. For globally distributed biotech and diagnostics labs, cloud LIMS ensure consistent versioning, disaster recovery, and regulatory-compliant data residency. Scispot provides secure, validated cloud LIMS deployments with enterprise-grade uptime and flexible controls.
Cloud Computing
The delivery of computing and data storage using remote, vendor-managed servers. Transforms LIMS scalability, especially for growing labs or those with fluctuating workloads.
Cluster
A group of interconnected servers running a coordinated LIMS instance to support high throughput, redundancy, and uptime.
CMO (Contract Manufacturing Organization)
External partner organizations specializing in biotech, pharma, or diagnostics production. LIMS integration between labs and CMOs ensures consistent sample tracking and lot review.
COA (Certificate of Analysis)
A formal record issued for a batch or sample that summarizes all relevant test results, specifications, and compliance confirmations, often automatically generated by the LIMS to accompany product release documentation.
Code Smell
A sign in the LIMS or integration codebase that might indicate a weakness—important for IT and QA to monitor during validation or upgrades.
Collaborative Research
Research conducted by multiple organizations or investigators, often involving complex sample sharing, sequencing, and multi-site collaborations. A well-designed LIMS enables controlled access, data sharing, and permissioned sample use tracking in multi-center studies.
Compliance
Adherence to external (FDA, EMA, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO, CLIA, CAP) and internal standards to guarantee test validity, data integrity, and legal defensibility. LIMS provides the digital backbone for easier compliance by enforcing SOPs, user roles, QC, incident management, and real-time reporting.
Configure/Configuration
Adapting or adjusting LIMS modules, UI, or workflows using built-in system settings, without modifying core code. Configuration flexibility is critical for labs bringing new assays online or branching into new diagnostic services; Scispot streamlines lab self-configuration with no-code interfaces.
Consumables
Disposable lab items (tips, reagents, standards) tracked in LIMS inventory to ensure uninterrupted operation, quality, and cost control.
Contamination
The unintended introduction of unwanted substances or organisms into a lab sample or process. LIMS systems enable risk flagging, traceability back to root cause (person, process, reagent), and automated incident/corrective workflows.
Corrective Action
Actions taken, documented, and tracked (typically in a CAPA system or LIMS) to fix a non-conformity or deviation, with evidence of effectiveness.
Collaborative Research
A cross-lab project with shared data, samples, or analysis. Modern LIMS enable seamless permissioned data and sample sharing while preserving each party’s regulatory compliance.
Contract Research Organization (CRO)
A third-party lab service provider aiding research, product development, or regulatory testing. LIMS integration supports seamless data exchange and project management between sponsor and CRO.
Customize/Customization
Refers to modifying LIMS core code, templates, or workflows for unique functionalities not offered out of the box. While custom builds increase flexibility, maintaining validation and future upgrades becomes more challenging. Scispot emphasizes configuration over deep core customization to balance flexibility with upgrade speed.
CSV Import
A bulk data-loading tool, mapping spreadsheet data into structured LIMS records for fast onboarding, migration, or integrations.
D
Dashboard
A real-time, interactive panel showing KPIs, TAT, backlog, instrument status, and QC alarms. For biotech and testing labs, the LIMS dashboard is an operational nerve center for workflow management, anomaly detection, and performance tracking.
Data Analytics
The process of analyzing raw and processed data aggregated in the LIMS to uncover trends, process inefficiencies, or root causes. Advanced analytics modules are shifting from standalone to LIMS-embedded, supporting immediate action.
Data Archiving
Secure, tamper-proof storage of historical lab data, essential for long-term regulatory retention and reproducibility audits.
Data Backup and Recovery
The creation of redundant data copies, with tested restore protocols, to guarantee data resilience after accidental loss, cyberattack, or platform failures.
Data Integrity
A central regulatory and operational concept representing accuracy, consistency, and reliability of lab data throughout its lifecycle. LIMS maintains data integrity through robust validation, access control, audit trails, and backup routines. Scispot’s immutable logging and validation safeguards are validated for GxP and clinical use.
Data Lake
A repository storing raw, often unstructured, files—enabling flexible post-analytic queries and use by AI/ML. LIMS platforms that export to data lakes unlock advanced bioinformatics and retrospective cohort studies.
Data Management
The discipline of collecting, organizing, storing, protecting, and governing all lab information—key to reliable decision-making and seamless regulatory reporting.
Data Migration
The process and tools for securely and completely transferring historical lab data into a new LIMS, including legacy spreadsheets, instrument outputs, and result archives.
Data Mining
Using statistical or AI/ML approaches to discover hidden patterns, trends, or relationships in laboratory datasets. Biotech and diagnostic labs leverage LIMS-integrated data mining for biomarker discovery, process optimization, and hypothesis generation.
Data Quality
Measurement and control of result validity, reproducibility, and absence of error or bias across lab operations. Automated LIMS data quality checks catch outliers, duplication, or incomplete records before release or regulatory review.
Data Silo
A set of information isolated from other lab or business functions—common pre-LIMS pitfall. Integration-focused LIMS platforms like Scispot help eliminate silos, supporting both operational excellence and real data sharing.
Data Validation
Automated and workflow-driven processes within LIMS to verify that data are accurate, compliant, and complete before downstream processing or result release.
Data Visualization
Graphical dashboards and analytical plots embedded in LIMS UI, enabling easier tracking of trends, control performance, and resource loads.
Database
The secure backend of your LIMS system, storing all sample, test, and user records. Modern LIMS employ relational or document-oriented databases with extensible schemas and robust backup/restore protocols for audit readiness.
Decontamination
Processes that remove or neutralize biological/chemical contamination risks, often triggered automatically by LIMS-driven QC exceptions.
De-identification
Anonymization of PHI or other sensitive sample data in the LIMS to comply with HIPAA, GDPR, or human research regulations.
Deep Learning
AI using intricate neural networks for complex pattern extraction; biotech LIMS increasingly leverage deep learning for image analysis or multi-assay data correlation.
Diagnostics
The use of laboratory processes for disease detection, patient monitoring, or screening. A diagnostics-optimized LIMS supports medical device integration, HL7/FHIR result messaging, compliance, and rapid report generation.
Digital Pathology
Digitized viewing and analysis of whole-slide images and other microscopy data, often integrated into LIMS workflows, QC, and reporting for diagnostics and research labs.
Digital Signature
A cryptographically secure, legally recognized signature approach attached to records, protocols, or reports in the LIMS. Universal in regulated biotech and diagnostics labs for FDA/EMA compliance.
Disaster Recovery
Comprehensive strategies, protocols, and backup automation for restoring LIMS operations after hardware, software, or physical disruptions. Cloud-native solutions like Scispot include regional failover and continuous automated backups by default.
Discrepant Result
Outlier, contradictory, or questionable data flagged during QC, review, or result validation, requiring lab investigation and potentially a CAPA entry.
Downstream Processing
The post-synthesis or -production phase in biotech; for example, the purification and QC of proteins or nucleic acids. LIMS links upstream production runs with downstream analytic results for seamless traceability.
Dry Lab
The computational/data science side of biotech/diagnostics, encompassing bioinformatics, AI, and visual analytics. Modern LIMS platforms unify wet-lab and dry-lab data.
Duplicate Record
Erroneous duplication within lab records, detected and flagged automatically within most LIMS platforms.
Dynamic Reporting
Automated or interactive report generation within LIMS, customizable by user, sample, test, or result set. Dynamic templates ensure compliance output and speed up operations.
E
EHR Integration
Interface capability for a LIMS to send or receive orders, results, or clinical summaries from Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems via HL7 or FHIR, crucial for diagnostics labs working within healthcare networks.
Electronic Data Capture (EDC)
Direct digital collection of clinical or research data at the source. LIMS with EDC interoperability accelerate trial data flow, minimize transcription error, and streamline regulatory documentation.
Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)
A software system for designing, running, and recording research protocols and raw observations, linked directly to LIMS-managed samples and results, especially valuable in biotech R&D and discovery.
Electronic Signature
A method for authenticating and approving electronic records and transactions in a LIMS. While less cryptographically robust than digital signature, electronic signatures streamline day-to-day approvals and meet regulatory intent.
ELISA
A widely used biochemical assay technique (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) that the LIMS supports via automated result capture, QC trend reporting, and compliance output for clinical diagnostics.
ELN Integration
The seamless linkage of the Electronic Lab Notebook to LIMS-based sample data, instrument results, and workflow tasks, unifying lab documentation and boosting productivity.
Emergency Access
A defined protocol for LIMS system override in crisis scenarios; must be fully logged and audited for regulatory review.
Encryption
The encoding of data in LIMS both at-rest and in-transit, essential for HIPAA, GDPR, and 21 CFR 11 compliance in clinical and biotech lab data management. Scispot uses enterprise-grade encryption by default.
Endpoint
A specific data/service interface location exposed by a LIMS API, as used for integrations with CRM, ELN, or robotic platforms.
Environmental Monitoring
Routine tracking and trending of environmental conditions—such as temperature, humidity, air quality—critical in biotech, diagnostics, and manufacturing labs. LIMS-based monitoring reduces compliance risk and safeguards sample integrity.
ERP Integration
Automated two-way communication between the LIMS and a company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, ensuring lab and business data consistency across inventory, production, and finance teams.
Error Tracking
A quality feature in LIMS that logs, flags, and reports anomalous results, user mistakes, or instrument issues to facilitate rapid correction and continuous improvement.
E-Signature
See Electronic Signature.
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)
A set of data processing functions to pull information from disparate sources, reformat it, and load into the LIMS for unified analysis.
Expiry Tracking
LIMS-based monitoring of reagent, standard, and sample shelf lifetime, with automatic alerts and lockouts to prevent invalid testing and ensure audit readiness.
External QC
Quality control samples sourced from outside organizations or proficiency testing programs. LIMS tracks all external QC results and automates reporting for compliance (CLIA, CAP, ISO 15189).
F
FAIR Data Principles
A foundational data management standard asserting that information in the LIMS should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. For biotech and diagnostic labs, implementing FAIR principles with rich metadata and open APIs boosts research reproducibility, facilitates regulatory reporting, and ensures interoperability across instruments and software. Scispot alt-LIMS enables FAIR compliance through standardized data models and seamless integration to external analytics tools.
Fat Client
A LIMS client application installed directly on the user’s computer, providing advanced local processing at the expense of central management and deployment simplicity. Modern labs increasingly favor browser-based or thin-client designs for scalability and ease of updates.
Firewall
A hardware or software system that protects LIMS network traffic from unauthorized access, interruption, or exfiltration. Firewalls, combined with encryption and access controls, help biotech and diagnostic labs maintain data confidentiality and enforce HIPAA, GDPR, and 21 CFR 11 rules.
FISH (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization)
A vital cytogenetic technique used in molecular diagnostics and cancer genomics to visualize specific DNA sequences. LIMS with FISH support facilitate probe inventory, result image integration, and result interpretation auditability.
Freezer Management
LIMS capability for inventorying and mapping samples stored at subzero or cryogenic temperatures. For biobanks and genetic testing labs, digital freezer mapping minimizes sample loss and maximizes asset longevity. Scispot alt-LIMS provides barcode-based freezer and storage container tracking as a standard feature.
G
GAMP 5
Good Automated Manufacturing Practice guideline for computerized system validation in pharma, biotech, and diagnostics. GAMP 5-aligned LIMS validation ensures software is fit for intended use, with risk-based documentation, testing protocols, and change control. Scispot includes GAMP 5 template packs for rapid deployment and audit-readiness.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
The European legal framework protecting the privacy and handling of personal data, including patient information and research subject identities. LIMS platforms in diagnostics and biobanking must ensure data consent, traceable access, anonymization, and “right to be forgotten” workflows. Scispot’s compliance stack offers fine-grained data governance, export, and user-access logging.
Genomics
The branch of molecular biology and clinical diagnostics focused on sequencing, analyzing, and interpreting entire genomes. Genomics labs require LIMS platforms that automate NGS sample tracking, metadata import, secondary analysis pipeline triggers, and longitudinal result clustering.
GLP (Good Laboratory Practice)
A set of standards promoting accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility in non-clinical research and regulated manufacturing environments. GLP-compliant LIMS support validated SOPs, detailed records, instrument maintenance, and deviation documentation.
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)
Comprehensive guidelines governing every aspect of pharmaceutical and biotech product manufacturing, including instrumentation, personnel training, process control, and traceability. GMP-validated LIMS enable electronic batch records, deviation management, and real-time reporting to maintain compliant operations.
GxP
Umbrella term covering GMP, GLP, and GCP (“good clinical practice”) regulations. Labs serving pharmaceutical and clinical diagnostics clients use GxP-compliant LIMS to streamline documentation, archiving, training, and audit preparation.
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