Bioinformatics delivery tracker

Problem Context

Wet lab scientists and bioinformatics teams struggle to deliver analysis results efficiently. They use fragmented tools like GitHub for code, S3 for raw data, and MultiQC/Quarto for reports, but lack a structured system to organize and share everything in one place. This leads to confusion, duplicate files, and lost reports, slowing down research.

Pain Points

Teams waste time managing duplicate files across Drive/Dropbox/S3, lose track of report versions, and face delays when PIs can’t find results. Manual workflows (email, shared folders) break down as projects grow, and there’s no clear way to organize deliveries per PI or client. Users describe this as a ‘duct-taped’ process they just tolerate.

Impact

Delays in report delivery halt wet lab experiments, costing hours of lost work per week. Duplicate data wastes storage and creates confusion. Without a structured system, teams risk missing deadlines, losing funding, or repeating expensive analyses. The frustration leads to inefficiency and burnout.

Urgency

This problem can’t be ignored because it directly impacts research timelines and budgets. PIs and core facility managers need a reliable way to track, share, and deliver results—otherwise, projects stall. The current lack of structure makes it hard to scale or collaborate, forcing teams to stick with broken workflows.

Target Audience

Bioinformatics core facility managers, wet lab PIs, and small biotech team leads also face this issue. Academic labs, contract research organizations (CROs), and biotech startups all struggle with the same fragmented tools and lack of organization in report delivery.

Solution Approach

LabFlow is a web-based platform that centralizes bioinformatics project delivery. It replaces scattered tools (GitHub, S3, email, Drive) with a single system for tracking requests, storing reports, sharing datasets, and logging deliveries. Users get a structured workflow that reduces duplicates, versions reports automatically, and ensures PIs receive results on time.

Key Features

1. *Report Vault:- Auto-save MultiQC/Quarto/Jupyter reports with versioning (e.g., ‘v
2. 2 – 2024-05-10’) to avoid lost files.
3. *Dataset Hub:- Share large files via S3/Google Drive *without duplicates- using access-controlled links.
4. Delivery Log: Record who received what (email/Box/Drive) to prevent ‘I never got it’ issues.

User Experience

Users start by creating a project for a PI’s request. They upload reports (MultiQC, Quarto, etc.) to the Report Vault, where versions are saved automatically. Datasets are shared via the Dataset Hub without creating duplicates. The Delivery Log tracks who received what, and the Dashboard keeps everything organized. PIs get a clear view of their project status and results.

Differentiation

Unlike generic tools (Drive, GitHub) or ELNs (LabArchives), LabFlow is built *specifically- for bioinformatics report delivery. It combines project tracking, versioned reports, and dataset sharing in one place—something no other tool does. The auto-versioning and delivery logging save hours of manual work, and the S3/Drive integration prevents duplicate files.

Scalability

LabFlow grows with the user’s needs. Core facilities can add more PIs, and biotech teams can expand storage for larger datasets. The cloud-based architecture (Firebase/S3) ensures it scales without downtime. Additional features (e.g., API integrations, custom report templates) can be added later to meet advanced needs.

Expected Impact

Users save 10+ hours/week on manual workflows, reduce duplicate data, and deliver results on time. PIs get clearer communication and fewer ‘lost report’ issues. Core facilities improve efficiency and collaboration, while biotech teams avoid costly delays. The platform becomes a mission-critical tool for research workflows.