Once you have created the
Sample Type, you can create the samples themselves in several ways. Import an existing inventory spreadsheet, create the samples individually, or enter information in bulk (and then refine it). The Sample Type acts like a table and each individual sample of that type will be a row in the table.
For a tutorial walkthrough of adding samples to the system, see this topic:
Tutorial: Add Samples
Note: Once you have added some samples, you can select one or more before clicking
Create and then either pool them or derive new child samples from them. Learn about these options in the topic:
Sample Lineage / Parentage.
Choose Desired Sample Type and Import Method
To create new samples, you specify the type of sample you are creating. Most
Create menus give you a
Samples option where you can choose the type of sample to create by selecting
Create > [Sample Type].
- The most general method is to go to the home page dashboard and click Create Samples. (On narrow browser windows you may need to scroll down to find the Dashboard Insights panel.)
- Click the tab for your import method:
- Select the Sample Type you are creating using the dropdown. You can type ahead in the box to narrow the selections when the list is long.
You will now be creating samples of that type and the creation interface will reflect your method.
Create Samples From Grid
Using the
Create Samples From Grid tab gives you several options for entering sample information in the application directly, as opposed to uploading a file of data. You can manually enter values for all fields in a grid format, or use bulk insert and bulk update to streamline entry of similar values.
Add Parent (Optional)
If the samples you are adding have one or more
Parent samples, click
Add Parent to add parentage information. Select the Sample Type of the parent(s). If you will have parents of different types, add one for each type of parent.
Learn more about including parentage information in this topic: Sample Lineage / ParentageIf you add but then want to remove parent linkages, you can delete it by clicking the X next to "Remove Parent #" on the right.
Add Source (Optional)
If the samples you are adding have one or more
Sources, click
Add Source to add a column for each Source Type you will associate with samples of this type. Select the Source Type from the dropdown.
If you add but then want to remove source linkages, you can delete it by clicking the X next to "Remove Source #" on the right.
Add Samples Individually
To directly create samples in a grid, start by adding a blank row for the samples you want to create. Enter the number of samples you want to add and click
Add Samples.
A grid with the requested number of rows will be created, with a column for each field included in your Sample Type.
- Sample ID:
- If you provided a Naming Pattern with the Sample Type, the Sample ID will be generated, and this will be noted in the grid. You could override this value by manually typing in the box, but remember that all sample IDs must be unique.
- If you are providing your own Sample ID, you will a column in which to enter it.
- Enter values for remaining fields as well.
- Shown below, an ID will be generated and there are fields populated for "Description" and "Project":
Enter your data directly into the grid. Copy and paste of single cells is supported. When ready, click
Finish Creating # Samples. The number you are creating will appear on the button.
You will see the sample grid for that type, with a banner message indicating how many were created. In that message, click
select them in the grid to select this recently created batch for actions like adding them to a workflow job.
Reopen to add more samples by selecting
Create > [Sample Type].
Bulk Insert
Instead of directly populating a grid, you can click
Bulk Insert to create many samples at once. This is particularly convenient when samples share the same settings for some or all columns.
- Specify the number of New Samples.
- Enter values for any or all of the properties listed.
- Click Add Samples To Grid.
You will see the samples in the same grid as if you had created them individually, with the shared values. If necessary, you can further edit the property settings in the grid (directly or using
bulk update, before clicking
Finish Creating # Samples.
You will see a banner message offering a link to select these newly created samples for further work if desired.
Bulk Insert with Parent(s)
If you
added one or more parent fields before clicking
Bulk Insert, you will have an additional selection to make in the bulk creation popup. Choose whether you want to use the parent sample(s) to create:
- Derivatives, specifying the number of derivatives per parent.
- Pooled Samples, specifying the number of new samples to create for the parent(s).
- Continue to provide the shared values, including selection of the samples to use as parents for the derivatives or pooling.
- Click Add Samples to Grid and continue to finish creating the samples.
Bulk Update
While creating new samples in the grid, you can use the
Bulk Update option to assign a common value to a selected set of rows. As for
bulk update of assay data rows, you control which fields are
Enabled for update to a new common value you provide. The disabled fields will retain their original values.
Import Samples From File
Another bulk method for entering samples, particularly useful for a large group or when sample information is available in a spreadsheet already, you can import them directly from a file.
Within the sample creation UI, click
Import Samples from File.
- Confirm that the Sample Type is set correctly.
- Use the Template button to download a template file showing the expected data structure for the type.
- A checkbox is provided to Update data for existing samples during this file import.
- When checked, you can include data for samples that already exist in the system.
- Any data you provide for the rows representing samples that already exist will replace the previous values. Note that when updating, you only need to provide the columns you wish to update. Existing data for other columns will be left as is.
- If you don't check this box, the upload will be "insert only" and will fail if you attempt to import data for existing samples.
- Drag and Drop the file directly into the window to upload it.
- You will see the sample information obtained from the file in the panel.
- Only fields included in the definition of the Sample Type will be imported. In this example, the Sample ID will be generated for you, so is not included in the imported file or shown here.
- Note that you cannot edit the values here. If you see an error, you can use the X to delete the loaded file, make changes offline, and reselect the revised file.
- Click Import to create the samples from the data in the file.
After creating samples via import from a file, the banner message shows the number newly imported and offers the option to click to
select them in the grid.
Derive Samples from Parent Samples or Sources
Once you have created the Samples you want to use as parents or the Sources for some new samples, you can also create new samples from the grids for the parent or source. Both derivation of child samples and pooling of multiple parents are supported. Learn more in this topic:
Related Topics