Express LIMS Helps Train Future Chemical Technicians

The Matrix Express LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) from Autoscribe Informatics (UK) is being used as part of the Chemical Laboratory Technician major program at Bidwell Training Center (BTC), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. This course equips students with the skills needed to work in a wide range of laboratory environments, including R&D, processing, quality control and manufacturing. 

The Chemical Laboratory Technician Program staff at BTC is very pro-active at monitoring trends and developments in the analytical market place.  Recognizing the importance of LIMS in the modern laboratory environment, they were keen to include this technology in the practical laboratory teaching sessions on the program. The major challenge was to find a system that was simple enough to incorporate into the course, yet was representative of an up-to-date LIMS that might be found in any chemical laboratory. 

Matrix Express is an ‘off the shelf’ LIMS used extensively in small laboratories and provides all the basic functionality required in a LIMS. Competitively priced, it has the added benefit of being easily configured for any application. The system is set up to allow students to use the LIMS in a number of practical experiments where sample data is entered, specific tests allocated and results entered.

John Boother, President at Autoscribe Informatics said: “This is a very forward-looking approach from the staff at Bidwell Training Center. The 54 week course includes an eight week externship at a local company. Here the students have the chance to put into practice what they have learned and they will already be familiar with using a LIMS. The purchase of the system also reflects the flexibility that arises from the ‘configuration tools’ used by Matrix. These same basic tools allow us to provide systems that are tailored to any environment from a single laboratory such as at Bidwell, right up to LIMS installations with over 500 concurrent users connected via multiple sites.”