Configuring Samples

You can choose to reuse samples for non-destructive tests at every time point or to store a master sample of material to aliquot for each test. These settings allow you to keep fewer containers in each storage condition or, for non-destructive tests, less material overall.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
Amounts
Introductory Concepts
Defining Tasks

Reuse a Sample

For each test, you can choose to reuse a single sample for each storage condition, at every time point. If you need to perform a non-destructive test at every time point, reusing a single sample requires less material to perform the same tests.

  1. Select the Test Design tab of a study where the materials, the matrix of time points and storage conditions, and the tests are already designed.
    The icon indicates whether an activity is non-destructive (black) and whether it reuses a single sample for every time point (blue). Gray icons indicate destructive activities that cannot reuse samples.
  2. For each non-destructive activity, click to request use of a single sample for each storage condition.

    Important: You cannot change the sample reuse setting for a study after its initial activation. Ensure that your study's reuse of samples (or not) is appropriate before activation.

  3. Optional: Expand the Materials section above the test design and review the effect of the sample reuse setting on the required amounts of the materials.
  4. To save your changes to the study, click Apply.

This reduces the total amount of material required by the study.

Tip: Click to open the Summary Amount view, for each material this reports the amount required for each storage condition, test, and time point, as well as the total amount. For more information, see Summary Amount.

Use a Master Sample

You can choose to use a master sample in your study. This results in storage of a single sample in each specified condition for each time point. For each sample, when a scientist performs a test they take aliquot from the master sample for the relevant time point and storage conditions. The master samples do not include material required by non-destructive tests configured to reuse one sample for every time point. Using master samples does not affect the total amount of material required for the test in a study, it does simplify sample storage.

  1. Select the Test Design tab of a study where the materials, the matrix of time points and storage conditions, and the tests are already designed.
  2. Click Use a Master Sample above the test design.

    This setting applies to all materials in the study.

    Important: You cannot change the master sample setting for a study after its initial activation. Ensure that your study's use of a master sample (or not) is appropriate before activation.

    This displays Use a Master Sample with a blue background.
    Tip: Click to open the Summary Amount view, for each material this reports the amount required for each storage condition, test, and time point, as well as the total amount. For more information, see Summary Amount.
  3. To save your changes to the study, click Apply.

This does not affect the total amount of material required by the study. The Summary Amount section on the Summary tab reports the total master sample amount for each storage condition, taking into account the tests requests at each time point.

Tip: You can use the Assign Bulk Containers action on the Samples tab of a Foundation Hub Task Plan or the Assign Study Arm Bulk Containers Pipeline Pilot protocol in the Pipeline Pilot Web Port to assign specific containers to planned samples.

Group Samples

You can group all the tests at each timepoint for the same activity across all storage conditions and materials into a single Foundation Hub task so that you can execute them together. This does not affect the amount of material required, but simplifies the Task Plan by grouping all Samples under a single Task.

  1. Select the Test Design tab of a study where the materials, the matrix of time points and storage conditions, and the tests are already designed.
  2. Click Use Sample Grouping above the test design.

    This setting applies to all conditions, materials, and tests in the study.

    Important: You cannot change the sample grouping setting for a study after its initial activation. Ensure that your study's use of sample grouping (or not) is appropriate before activation.

    This displays Use Sample Grouping with a blue background.
  3. To save your changes to the study, click Apply.

When you activate the study, the Task Plan in Foundation Hub has a single Task for all Samples for each test and storage condition at each time point. After activation of the study, you can manage the single task using the standard Foundation Hub actions, including splitting the task. The heat map on the Monitoring tab of the study displays the same status for all tests represented by the single Task, unless it is split.