Animal handling database tick@lab

Karolinska Institutet has invested in an IT system called tick@lab. The system provides an integrated platform to handle all processes regarding animal handlings including daily operations and data handling. The goal is that all animals in the animal facilities at KI campus Solna will be included in the system during 2018. The aim is to facilitate communication, documentation, billing and reporting.

Comparative Medicine has now initiated the implementation of tick@lab and is responsible for education in and administration of the database. The majority of mail communication today between staff and researchers will in tick@lab be done via “tasks” e.g. ordering of animals, matings, genotyping, terminations and other services. The database will send emails to everyone that have “tasks” in the system, so it is not necessary to be constantly online. The system is a browser independent web application; no client installation is required so you can easily get access via any computer connected to KI’s network.

The system will be used for management of all kinds of documents involving animals. Ethical permits will be attached to the system including approved number of animals, procedures and methods. This implies real time tracking of animal numbers to ensure compliance with approved numbers. By keeping the experimental animal logs in tick@lab, animal history records will be easy to follow online for both staff and researchers. There will no longer be any need to store experimental animal logs in paper form.

The software includes a breeding module to assist management of mating selection, pairing and timings. It also supports tracking of genealogy and colony performance reporting.
Since all data is registered in tick@lab, it is easy to acquire reports from the system, ranging from data needed for billing to statistical reports.