Government laboratories do not simply store standards and strains. They must demonstrate traceability, environmental control, inventory integrity, and compliance with accreditation requirements.

Common challenges include:

1. Reference materials are stored in multiple locations

A typical government laboratory may have:

Standard material room

Instrument laboratory

Microbiology laboratory

Quality control laboratory

Sample preparation room

Cold storage room

Managers often cannot determine:

Which department is using a CRM

How many units remain

Which lot number is currently active

Which materials are approaching expiration

2. Expensive standards are repeatedly purchased

Problems frequently observed:

Duplicate purchasing

Unknown inventory status

Materials expiring before use

Difficulty sharing standards between departments

3. Accreditation requires complete traceability

Assessors frequently ask: can you demonstrate the complete history of this reference material?

Typical questions include:

Who received it?

Who approved its release?

Who used it?

Which analytical method used it?

Which project consumed it?

Was it discarded properly?

4. Environmental conditions are difficult to monitor

5. Microbial strain management depends heavily on manual records

Unite provides the solution as  Standard Material and Microbial Strain Lifecycle Management Solution. It implemented through a combination of centralized digital management, intelligent storage equipment, optocoupler matrix, environmental and collection monitoring, and standardized laboratory workflows to establish a complete chain of custody for standard materials and microbial strains.

Based on the features, how can laboratories reduce duplicate purchases and improve visibility?

Environmental laboratories, food laboratories, and drug control institutes may maintain thousands of reference materials.

Examples include:

Pesticide standards

Heavy metal standards

Organic pollutant standards

Pharmaceutical impurity standards

Calibration standards

Traditional management relies on:

Excel files

Paper registration books

Manual stock counting

Using the Unite System

All standards are stored in intelligent cabinets connected to one management platform. Laboratory personnel submit requests electronically.

Workflow:

Request →Approval→Collection→Use→Return→Inventory Update→Disposal

Managers can monitor:

Inventory quantity, Lot number, Supplier, Certificate validity, Report, Expiration date, Current user and Storage location

How can laboratories prepare for accreditation audits?

Assessors commonly request evidence showing:

Reference material traceability

Inventory management

Environmental monitoring

Authorized access

Usage history

Certificate validity

Using the System

Reports can be generated automatically.

Examples:

Current inventory report

Usage history report

Expired standards report

Environmental monitoring report

Certificate expiration report

User operation report

How can laboratories control microbial strains?

Government laboratories frequently maintain collections of:

Quality control strains

Pathogen reference strains

Environmental isolates

Foodborne microorganisms

Veterinary strains

System Capabilities

Each strain receives a unique label. Information recorded includes:

Strain number

Species

Preservation method

Storage temperature

Passage number

Recovery history

Responsible laboratory

Current inventory

Managers can determine immediately:

Who recovered the strain

Date of recovery

Experiment performed

Remaining aliquots

Storage location

How can laboratories demonstrate controlled storage conditions?

The cabinet continuously monitors:

Temperature

Humidity

Door opening status

Storage duration

Power supply status

Examples

CRM cabinet

2–8°C

Microbial strain freezer

-20°C

Ultra-low temperature module

Optional

Alarm conditions may include:

Temperature excursion

Door left open

Power interruption

Unauthorized access

How can laboratories avoid using expired standards?

Government laboratories often manage:

Short shelf-life standards

Imported CRMs

Lot-specific calibrators

The system monitors:

Expiration date

Certificate validity

Inventory quantity

Usage frequency

Notifications can be configured:

90 days

60 days

30 days

Custom periods

Managers can decide whether to:

Reorder

Transfer materials

Dispose of expired items

Who accessed a standard or strain and when?

Access to high-value materials can be controlled through:

• Face recognition(Dual-face recognition can be set)

• ID card authentication

• Password login

• Permission groups

  Permissions can be assigned by:

Department

Project

Material category

User role

Examples:

Quality Manager           Analyst                                            Intern

Full access                  Approved materials only                No access

• Each transaction records:

• User

• Material name

• Date and time

• Quantity

• Purpose

• Project information

  This creates a complete chain of custody for standards and microbial collections.

  What measurable benefits can government laboratories expect?

  Category	Typical Benefits
  Inventory Management	Reduced duplicate procurement
  Accreditation	Faster preparation for assessments
  Quality Control	Reduced risk of expired material use
  Resource Utilization	Improved sharing between departments
  Traceability	Complete electronic audit trail
  Laboratory Operations	Less manual documentation

Summary

For government laboratories, managing standards and microbial collections is primarily a matter of accreditation support, traceability, environmental control, and accountability. A digital storage and inventory platform enables laboratories to maintain complete records for every standard and strain, control access, monitor storage conditions, and prepare efficiently for inspections and accreditation assessments.

This is one project of a China government lab:

    Warehouse of the standard material and microbial strains:

Details inside the cabinet: