Effective Sample Management in South Africa
Freezerworks replaced a handwritten paper log system at the University of Cape Town’s Division of Medical Microbiology. This enabled 12 active clinical trials across Southern Africa to track 200,000+ aliquots with full barcode-based accountability, an audit trail, and zero lost samples.
“Freezerworks takes the headache out of sample reception and storage. You know you can always go back to the source, and you know what you have in the freezers, because it is exactly where you placed it.”
About UCT / Division of Medical Microbiology
The Division of Medical Microbiology at the University of Cape Town conducts up to 12 ongoing clinical trials across multiple sample collection sites throughout Southern Africa. The research focuses on tuberculosis and childhood pneumonia and is funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with trial results reported to the foundation quarterly.
One major initiative is the Drakenstein Child Lung Health Study, a longitudinal project investigating the epidemiology and etiology of childhood pneumonia, with patients enrolled and followed for up to five years. To date, the study has collected more than 100,000 samples, and enrollment is ongoing. With samples coming from enrolled patients as frequently as every two weeks, the Division’s biorepository is consistently busy and growing.
THE SITUATION
With 12 active trials and specimens constantly moving in and out, the lab was managing its entire sample inventory through a handwritten log on a piece of paper. The consequences were significant and growing:
The handwritten log system was difficult to follow, fraught with errors, and a major undertaking even for routine tasks like sending samples to local hospitals.
Laboratory personnel spent the majority of their time tracking down specimens that simply could not be found. Time that could have been spent on research and clinical diagnosis.
The paper system left no record of who entered or modified sample data, making it impossible to hold individuals accountable and creating serious questions about sample integrity, a liability for the University.
The Division was growing rapidly; the Drakenstein study alone had already exceeded 100,000 samples, with patients still being enrolled. A manual system had no path to keeping pace.
OUR SOLUTIONS
After learning about Freezerworks at a data management workshop in the U.S. and visiting a neighboring lab already using the system for TB studies and vaccine research, Slee Mbhele and her team contacted Freezerworks’ Seattle offices. The support team configured a version of Freezerworks to meet the Division’s specific needs.
Unique Identifiers & Barcode Tracking
Freezerworks assigned a unique identifier and barcode to every sample and aliquot, replacing the handwritten log with a fully searchable, accountable inventory system. Every specimen, from initial collection to final storage, could now be precisely located and traced.
- Unique barcode assigned to every sample and aliquot at the point of creation
- Samples and aliquots remain linked with the patient ID number throughout the entire process
- Full audit trail records who entered or modified any sample record, restoring individual accountability
- Security and integrity controls eliminated the University’s liability exposure from untracked sample changes
Pre-Printed Kit Workflow for Collection Sites
The lab redesigned its entire collection workflow around Freezerworks. Rather than logging samples after the fact, technicians now do all prep work in advance. This shift fundamentally improved data quality at the point of origin.
- Sample records created in Freezerworks before collection begins
- Barcoded vials pre-printed and pre-labeled, then sent as kits to collection sites across Southern Africa
- Samples arrive back at the lab already linked to their patient records, no manual re-entry needed
- Streamlined intake dramatically improved the integrity of research data across all 12 trials
“Freezerworks takes the headache out of sample reception and storage.”
THE OUTCOMES
Switching to Freezerworks transformed the Division’s biorepository from a liability into a research asset, freeing staff to focus on science and positioning the lab to manage continued rapid growth across Southern Africa.
60% Time Recovered
Researchers eliminated the 60% of lab time previously spent tracking down lost or misplaced samples.
Full Accountability
A complete audit trail restored individual accountability and eliminated the University’s liability exposure.
Data Integrity
Samples and aliquots remain linked with patient IDs throughout collection, storage, and retrieval.
200,000+ Aliquots Managed
The biorepository now holds 200,000+ biological aliquots plus thousands of processed samples, all tracked in real time.
