How to use TissueTrack

Set up your lab account and invite your team in a few minutes.

1. 1

   Register for a free trial from the landing page — no credit card required.

   💡 Tip

   Your 15-day trial includes every feature, so you can explore the full platform before committing.

2. 2

   After registering, you'll be prompted to start your free trial. Once active, your lab workspace is automatically created.

   💡 Tip

   Your lab ID ties all your data together — batches, media, cutters, and team members all belong to your lab.

3. 3

   Invite team members from the Team page. Lab managers get full edit access; invited members get read-only access to batches, media, the calendar, and reports.

   💡 Tip

   Team invitations expire after 24 hours for security — resend if needed.

4. 4

   Choose a subscription plan (Monthly or Yearly) from the Subscription page when your trial ends.

   💡 Tip

   Yearly billing saves the equivalent of two months.

Track every media preparation, its pH, volume, and stock status.

1. 1

   Go to the Media page and click Add Media.

   💡 Tip

   Enter the media name (e.g. MS Basalt), composition, pH, date prepared, and quantity in litres.

2. 2

   Set the status to Available, Expired, or Low Stock as your inventory changes.

   💡 Tip

   Update the status anytime by editing the media record — low stock items are flagged so you never run out mid-preparation.

3. 3

   When you create a batch or log a transfer, select the media and enter the container count and volume per container (default 50 ml). TissueTrack calculates the total media used automatically — containers × volume per container — and shows it live as you type.

   💡 Tip

   When you log a multiplication or rooting transfer, the consumed volume is deducted from the media's stock automatically. If the remaining stock drops below 1 litre, the status flips to Low Stock and a low-stock alert appears so you can prepare more in time.

4. 4

   Use the Notes field to record batch numbers, autoclave cycles, or preparation details.

   💡 Tip

   These notes appear in reports and transfer logs for full traceability.

Follow each batch from initiation through to acclimatization.

1. 1

   Go to Batches and click Add Batch. Enter the species, variety, stage (starts at Initiation), plant count, and container count.

   💡 Tip

   If you enter containers, TissueTrack generates a barcode for each one — you can download a CSV or print labels immediately.

2. 2

   Assign a cutter, select the media and growth room, and set the date started and next multiplication date.

   💡 Tip

   The next multiplication date feeds your calendar so you always know what's due.

3. 3

   As plants grow, use the transfer icon to log a multiplication cycle. Enter explants transferred, containers, volume per container, and contamination count — TissueTrack calculates the media used and multiplication rate automatically.

   💡 Tip

   Each transfer creates a detailed log entry with the cutter, media used, and new barcodes for the cycle.

4. 4

   Use the arrow icon to advance a batch to the next stage (Initiation → Multiplication → Rooting → Hardening → Acclimatization).

   💡 Tip

   Stage advancement updates the batch's stage badge and keeps your dashboard counts current.

5. 5

   If you need to part plants into a new batch, use the split (branch) icon to create a linked child batch.

   💡 Tip

   Child batches are marked as 'Split from parent' so you can always trace lineage.

Generate, print, and re-download barcodes for containers and plants.

1. 1

   Barcodes are generated automatically when you create a batch with containers. The format is: BatchID | C0 | Cnn (cycle 0, container number).

   💡 Tip

   Container barcodes use the 'C' prefix; plant barcodes (used in hardening) use the 'P' prefix.

2. 2

   During batch creation, tick 'Download barcodes CSV' and/or 'Print container barcodes' to get your labels immediately.

   💡 Tip

   The print sheet is formatted for standard 70×40mm labels and fits multiple per A4 page.

3. 3

   If you miss the download at creation, just edit the batch — a 'barcodes saved for this batch' panel appears with Download CSV and Print Labels buttons.

   💡 Tip

   You can re-download or reprint as many times as you need.

4. 4

   Transfer logs also generate barcodes for the new cycle's containers. In hardening, per-plant barcodes are generated instead.

   💡 Tip

   All barcode codes are stored on the batch and transfer log records for permanent traceability.

5. 5

   Use the Scan button on the Batches page to look up a batch by scanning or typing its barcode.

   💡 Tip

   The scan dialog shows the batch status, stage, plant count, and recent transfer history.

Track who cut what, and measure productivity over time.

1. 1

   Go to the Cutters page and add each lab member who performs cutting. Set their role (cutter, technician, manager, supervisor) and mark active/inactive.

   💡 Tip

   Inactive cutters are hidden from selection in batch and transfer forms, but their historical logs remain.

2. 2

   Assign a cutter every time you create a batch or log a transfer.

   💡 Tip

   Cutter assignments feed the performance reports, so accurate assignment means accurate analytics.

3. 3

   Review cutter performance in the Reports page — see multiplication rates, contamination counts, and plants generated per cutter.

   💡 Tip

   Use these insights to balance workload and identify training opportunities.

Track where your batches are stored and monitor room conditions.

1. 1

   Go to Growth Rooms and add each room or shelf. Enter a name, location detail (building/shelf/rack), set temperature, and capacity.

   💡 Tip

   Mark rooms active to include them in batch and transfer selection dropdowns.

2. 2

   Assign a growth room when creating a batch or logging a transfer.

   💡 Tip

   The room location is stored on the batch and each transfer log, so you can trace where plants were at every stage.

Stream live temperature & humidity readings from IoT sensors straight into your growth rooms.

1. 1

   Ask your account admin to generate a Sensor API Key for your lab. It appears on your client profile under 'Environmental Sensor Integration' — copy both the key and the webhook URL (https://www.tclabmanager.com/functions/logSensorReading).

   💡 Tip

   One key works for every growth room in your lab. Keep it secret — anyone with the key can post readings to your rooms.

2. 2

   Find the room ID for each growth room you want to monitor. It's shown as 'id: …' in small text at the top of each room card on the Growth Rooms page.

   💡 Tip

   Each sensor reading must include the growth_room_id of the room it's reporting for, so your device needs to know which room it represents.

3. 3

   Program your sensor device (ESP32, ESP8266, Raspberry Pi, or any IoT platform that can send an HTTP POST) to push a JSON reading to the webhook URL on a schedule (e.g. every 5–15 minutes).

   💡 Tip

   Compatible with DHT22, SHT31, BME280 and similar sensors, plus cloud platforms like ThingsBoard, Ubidots, TagoIO, Losant, and AWS IoT.

4. 4

   Send the reading as JSON: { "growth_room_id": "<room id>", "temperature": 24.5, "humidity": 70.2, "api_key": "tclab_..." }. You can also pass the key in an X-Sensor-Key header instead of the body.

   💡 Tip

   Temperature is in °C and humidity in % RH. Send only the fields you have — omitting humidity, for example, just leaves the previous humidity value unchanged.

5. 5

   Readings appear instantly on the Growth Rooms page: each room shows its current temperature and humidity with a timestamp, and out-of-range alerts fire automatically when a reading falls outside the thresholds you set on the room.

   💡 Tip

   Only the latest reading is kept per room, so your dashboard always reflects current conditions. Set temp/humidity min/max on each room to control when alerts trigger.

Never run out of hormones, sugar, agar, or consumables.

1. 1

   Go to the Supplies page and add each supply item. Choose a category (hormone, sugar, agar, salt, consumable, other), enter the unit, stock quantity, and minimum quantity.

   💡 Tip

   Items at or below their minimum are flagged so you can reorder in time.

2. 2

   Update stock quantities as you use or receive supplies.

   💡 Tip

   Keep the supplier field filled so you know who to contact for reorders.

Store multi-stage recipes per plant species for consistency.

1. 1

   Go to the Protocols page and click Add Protocol. Enter a title, species, and variety.

   💡 Tip

   Protocols are lab-scoped — only your lab members can see them.

2. 2

   Add stages to define the media, growth regulators, sugar, agar, pH, light, temperature, and subculture interval for each culture stage.

   💡 Tip

   Select media from your existing Lab Media records using the dropdown to keep names consistent.

3. 3

   Use protocols as a reference when setting up new batches and transfers to ensure reproducible results.

   💡 Tip

   Protocol stages cover Initiation, Multiplication, Rooting, Hardening, and Acclimatization — map them to your batch workflows.

See upcoming multiplication tasks and transfer dates at a glance.

1. 1

   Go to the Calendar page to view batches grouped by their next multiplication date.

   💡 Tip

   The calendar pulls from the 'next multiplication date' field on each batch — keep it updated when you log transfers.

2. 2

   Use the workload forecast to see which days are busiest and plan cutter assignments accordingly.

   💡 Tip

   Balancing the schedule across the week prevents bottlenecks and reduces contamination risk from rushed work.

Understand contamination trends, multiplication rates, and lab performance.

1. 1

   Go to the Reports page to view charts on batch counts by stage, contamination rates, multiplication rates, and cutter performance.

   💡 Tip

   Charts update in real-time as you log transfers and update batch data.

2. 2

   Use the date filters and stage breakdowns to focus on the metrics that matter to your lab.

   💡 Tip

   Export reports when you need to share insights with stakeholders or include in lab audits.

Invite collaborators and control who sees what.

1. 1

   Go to the Team page to see current members and pending invitations.

   💡 Tip

   Lab managers have full edit access; invited viewers get read-only access to batches, media, cutters, calendar, and reports.

2. 2

   Click Invite to send a team member an invitation by email. They'll receive a link to join your lab.

   💡 Tip

   Invitations expire after 24 hours. Resend from the Team page if one lapses.

3. 3

   Remove team members when they leave — their historical transfer logs and assignments remain for traceability.

   💡 Tip

   Only lab managers and admins can invite or remove team members.

Ask questions, bulk-import batches, and let AI read or add to your lab data.

1. 1

   Open the Lab Assistant from the sidebar to ask questions like 'Which batches are due for multiplication this week?' or 'What's my current media stock?'

   💡 Tip

   The assistant can read your lab data and help log operations — always confirm before it makes changes.

2. 2

   You can also ask the assistant how to use the app — for example, 'How do I print barcodes?' or 'How do I log a transfer?' and it will guide you step by step.

   💡 Tip

   Think of the assistant as a built-in help desk that knows your lab data and the app's features.

3. 3

   To bulk-add batches, start a new chat in the Lab Assistant and click the paperclip (📎) button next to the message box. Choose a CSV file — the assistant reads it and imports every row as a batch in your lab.

   💡 Tip

   CSV columns: species, variety, stage, plant_count, container_count, media_volume_per_container, plants_per_container, media_name, cutter_name, growth_room_name, date_started, next_multiplication_date, notes. Only species is required; media, cutter, and growth room names must match records already in your lab.

4. 4

   You can also ask the assistant to add a single batch in plain language — for example, 'Add a Banana Cavendish batch with 120 plants in Room A, cut by Ali.' The assistant creates the batch for you after you confirm.

   💡 Tip

   The assistant can create new plant batches but cannot edit or delete existing records, so your data stays safe.

5. 5

   To connect an external AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor), go to AI Connect and copy your TissueTrack MCP URL, then follow the setup guide for your tool.

   💡 Tip

   Once connected, your AI can read your batches, media, cutters, supplies, and transfer logs, and add new batches — all scoped to your lab only. It can never see another client's data.

Built-in tools for molarity, dilution, and unit conversion.

1. 1

   Go to the Tools page to access the Molarity Calculator, Dilution Calculator, and Unit Converter.

   💡 Tip

   Use these for quick media prep calculations without reaching for a spreadsheet.

2. 2

   The Molarity Calculator helps you determine the mass of a compound needed for a given molarity and volume.

   💡 Tip

   Enter the molecular weight of your compound for accurate results.