Data scientist: "Do we have room to start an in vivo study with 50 animals in 3 weeks?"

Vet: "Well, that depends…"

A conversation about animal capacity could very well go something like that when research labs are trying to figure out when and how to start up new animal studies.

Because it always depends. And there are many variables to consider.

Some of the reasons why it can be difficult to keep an overview and plan animal studies optimally are:

• Different species cannot cohabit.

Even if there is room for a mice study in room A, it doesn't mean there is room for a study with rats.

• Light-dark schedules.

Studies are run with specific light and dark schedules, and if two studies have conflicting light-dark schedules, they cannot run in the same room.

• Space in cabinets.

The number of available cabinets and small and large trays for the animals is a puzzle in itself. What is in use and what is available, and how can we combine them optimally?

The complexity grows too big

Combine that with differences in study length, multiple locations and, not least, deviations from the original plan when things don't go as expected.

You'll quickly reach a level of complexity that will leave even the most structured Excel spreadsheet breathless. The range of outcomes is simply too large to keep track of. 

The problem with this is that you won’t be able to utilise the existing capacity well enough. When you want to run multiple studies simultaneously, you can’t let capacity go to waste due to a lack of overview. Optimal capacity utilisation is crucial for researchers to be able to move forward with their projects as quickly as possible.

An algorithm provides the answer

If you want a better process and better utilisation of laboratory resources, you need to find an alternative to the Excel spreadsheet in the form of a dedicated solution.
 
gritAnimal is an example of a platform that collects all data on stable capacity and both ongoing and planned animal studies, and can therefore provide a better overview. 

Based on an algorithm that takes into account the interdependencies between studies, gritAnimal can provide clear answers to the simple yet very complex question:

"When do we have room to run this study? "