Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A biotech QC lab logs an incoming sample in Labguru's LIMS module (tracked storage location), then records the QC assay as an ELN entry that references that same sample and the instrument run that produced the result.
- Is an instance
A CRO tracks reagent lots against expiration in Labguru's inventory module while scientists write up each experiment in the ELN, linking entries back to the specific reagent lots consumed.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A single-investigator academic lab documenting a handful of experiments a year in a free note-taking app or shared Word document is not 'using Labguru' in any operational sense, even though the record is technically electronic — it lacks the linked sample/inventory/equipment records and audit trail that define the platform.
Editorial commentary
Labguru is a cloud-based electronic lab notebook (ELN) and laboratory information management system (LIMS) built by BioData Inc. for life-science labs, combining experiment documentation, sample and inventory tracking, and equipment management in one platform rather than requiring separate ELN and LIMS products. What makes a lab workflow “run on Labguru” operationally is that experiments, samples, reagents, and equipment all live as linked records inside the same system — an experiment entry can reference the exact inventory lot it consumed and the instrument that generated its raw data, rather than those records existing in disconnected notebooks, spreadsheets, and sample-tracking tools.
What Labguru is
Labguru is made by BioData Inc. (Westborough, MA) and, as of 2025-2026, is marketed as “Labguru by Cenevo.” The platform bundles several modules that many competing tools sell separately or omit entirely:
- Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) — structured, timestamped experiment records with version history.
- Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) — sample tracking, storage location, and chain-of-custody.
- Inventory management — reagents, consumables, and stock levels linked directly to the experiments that use them.
- Equipment management — instrument scheduling, maintenance logs, and calibration records.
- Chemistry tools and a label/barcode (“Label Wizard”) system for sample identification and tracking.
Labguru targets biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food-technology, and molecular-farming labs, contract research organizations (CROs), quality-control labs, and academic research groups — see CASRAI’s broader overview of what a LIMS system is and how sample-management platforms fit into a lab’s operations generally.
Labguru as an ELN
Within the combined platform, Labguru’s ELN module functions like other electronic lab notebooks: researchers record procedures, observations, and raw data directly into dated, version-controlled entries rather than a paper notebook. What distinguishes Labguru’s ELN from a standalone notebook product is that an entry can pull inventory items and instrument records directly into the notebook page, so a single experiment record shows what reagents were consumed and what equipment produced the data, without a separate lookup step. See CASRAI’s electronic lab notebook (ELN) entry for the general operational definition of an ELN, and the ELN buyer’s guide for how to evaluate ELN options for a specific lab.
Labguru vs. Benchling
Labguru and Benchling are the two platforms most often compared in this space, and they are positioned differently rather than being direct feature-for-feature substitutes:
- Molecular-biology tooling. Benchling’s strength is its integrated sequence design, CRISPR guide design, and alignment tools built directly into its Notebook and Registry modules — a workflow layer Labguru does not offer natively at the same depth.
- Breadth of operational modules out of the box. Labguru bundles ELN, LIMS, inventory, and equipment management together as a single package; Benchling’s LIMS/Inventory capability is more commonly licensed as an add-on module on top of its core ELN/Registry product.
- Buyer profile. Benchling is priced and positioned primarily for larger, well-funded biotech and pharma R&D organizations. Labguru is positioned as more accessible for smaller labs, startups, and academic groups that need ELN and LIMS together without licensing multiple products.
Neither platform publishes a simple public price list, so the right comparison method for a specific lab is a scoped quote from both vendors against the same module list — see CASRAI’s Benchling pricing comparison and LIMS vs. ELN pages for how to structure that evaluation.
Labguru pricing
BioData does not publish list pricing for Labguru on its own site; like most lab-informatics vendors, pricing is quoted per lab based on seat count, module selection (ELN alone vs. ELN+LIMS+inventory), storage needs, and any validation/implementation support required. Third-party software-comparison sites have cited per-seat annual figures for Labguru that are notably lower than Benchling’s published-elsewhere per-seat range, and describe Labguru specifically as a lower-cost option for startups and smaller labs — but because these figures come from comparison-site marketing content rather than BioData’s own price list, treat any specific number you encounter as indicative only and confirm current pricing directly with the vendor before budgeting. BioData’s own site describes discounted “special programs” for startups and academic labs, which is consistent with that lower-cost positioning without committing to a specific figure.
Worked examples
Example 1 — biotech QC lab. A quality-control lab logs an incoming sample in Labguru’s LIMS module, which assigns it a tracked storage location; the analyst then records the QC assay itself as a Labguru ELN entry that references that same sample record and the specific instrument run used to generate the result — one system covers both the sample’s chain of custody and the experiment that tested it.
Example 2 — CRO study record. A contract research organization uses Labguru’s inventory module to track reagent lots against expiration and re-order thresholds, while study scientists write up each experiment in the ELN module, linking each entry back to the reagent lots actually consumed — giving an auditable record of which reagent lot was used in which experiment without a separate spreadsheet.
When Labguru isn’t the right fit
A single-investigator academic lab documenting a handful of experiments a year in a free note-taking app or a shared Word document is not “using Labguru” in any operational sense, even if that documentation is technically electronic — it lacks the linked sample/inventory/equipment records, audit trail, and multi-user permissioning that define what Labguru (and the ELN/LIMS category generally) actually does. For that kind of lab, a lightweight free or open-source ELN may be the more proportionate choice; see CASRAI’s guide to free and open-source electronic lab notebooks.
Related terms
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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