• Tracks each animal from birth to its fate, allowing reporting and analysis for individuals to both reduce administration and improve data management.
• Tracks each breeding and the resulting litter, enabling reporting and analysis for groups of animals, which can ease reporting such as that required by regulators, including the home office.
• Complex genotypes are recorded for each animal and are passed through to ease genotype specification of the offspring in a litter.
• Research data is stored against animal records, thus automatically creating meta-data which improves data provenance and reduces errors.
• A plug-in system for data tools allows measurements to be acquired directly from stored data.

Growbase constructs a comprehensive record for each animal. A complete data model allows Growbase to record the key details for each animal including its birth, genotype, breedings and the resulting litters and littermates.

Animal records are managed through a web-based user interface that eases access from any networked computer in the laboratory or the animal house.

The UK Home Office requires reports on all animals used under a research licence. The fate of each animal together with full details of the colony are stored in Growbase. This rich data set allows reporting and analysis in convenient formats such as MS Excel, leading to savings in time and money when it comes to completing important administration.

Bone lengths, cell counts, weights, protein levels or any other quantitative measures can be defined within Growbase and populated with animal data. Data sets are aggregated across litters or animal groups to produce statistical results - all traceable back to the actual data sources.

Storing data against animal records automatically improves data provenance, saves time and reduces error. Growbase stores files against animal records and provides tools to work with electronic data, such as images, to generate measurements. For example a ruler tool can be used to make a set of bone length measurements.

Growbase is a powerful, web-based information system with functions to support research and mouse house operations. The system is highly configurable and Certus can provide support and development services to maximise benefits and research outcomes.