MPG Labfolder User Workshop 2025

  • What: Workshop for Labfolder users of the MPG
  • When: 5th and 6th June 2025
  • Where: Berlin

Workshop Description

Background

Different electronic laboratory notebooks are used within the Max Planck Society (MPG). An ELN workshop in 2021 revealed the wide range of solutions in operation. One of the ELN systems with a more general approach is the proprietary software Labfolder.

The MPG has had a central Labfolder licence since the year 2016. Currently, this ELN is actively used by over a thousand MPG colleagues. Labfolder is becoming more and more popular within the MPG and at the same time, the users are spread across many different institutions and locations. An exchange between users within different institutes or locations rarely takes place. In order to stimulate networking and exchange, and to learn from each other and getting new inspiration for continuously improving the ELN usage, we had a Labfolder workshop in Dresden in 2023, which generated positive feedback and and a desire for continuation.

Therefore, we are organising again a workshop from 5th to 6th June 2025 to network the key users of Labfolder within the MPG. The primary target audience are those colleagues who use Labfolder in their daily work. The event is intended as a place to share and learn about people using Labfolder in their daily routine. Have you been working with Labfolder regularly for a longer time? Do you write your lab book with it? Do you use the REST API or interact with it automatically or with scripts? Then this workshop offers you many opportunities to exchange, expand your knowledge and learn.

The workshop is not planned in a presentation-discussion mode. Rather, we would like to encourage conversation with each other. Therefore, we are not looking for presentations. In contrast, we have included a lot of time for discussion in the programme. At the same time, such an event lives from active participation. To encourage this, we would like to start by introducing the various Labfolder solutions at Max Planck Institutes via short introductory lightning talks. For this, we are looking for colleagues who can briefly present their local Labfolder applications in two minutes. Do you want to contribute with a short talk? Please let us know via rdm [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de.

Event Details

Date: from Thursday 2025-06-05 to Friday 2025-06-06
Place: Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, Campus Charité Mitte, 10117 Berlin
Target Audience: All MPG colleagues, especially heavy Labfolder users, scientists and group leaders, lab managers and senior TAs, research coordinators, Labfolder support within MPG, RSEs and API users
Participation: Free of charge, but limited to the Max Planck Society only
Language: English
Workshop Pad: https://pad.gwdg.de/s/TV8g0vpI5 – has further details, notes
Contribution: Do you want to contribute with a short talk? Let us know via rdm [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de
Organisator: Michael Franke, David Walter (both Max Planck Digital Library) and Stephan Janosch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics)
Contact: rdm [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de
Note: This session is not an introduction to the use of Labfolder, it is aimed at more advanced users; if you are interested in a general introduction, please contact us via labfolder [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de

Preliminary Programme

Times are given as CEST (Berlin time, UTC+02).

Day 1: Thursday, 2025-06-05

From/ToWhat
12:00/13:00Lunch on self-pay basis
13:00/13:15Official start and welcome
13:15/14:45Short presentation of the Labfolder workflows at institutes and departments
14:45/15:15Joint discussion: Which topics should be discussed in more detail?
15:15/16:00Guided tour of MPI-IB ?
16:00/16:15Coffee break
16:15/17:30Group discussion
17:30/18:00Summary and short presentation of the group discussions
18:00/19:00Dinner
19:00/20:30Discussion and preparation for the following day

Day 2: Friday, 2025-06-06

From/ToWhat
09:30/10:00Welcome and reflection from the previous day
10:00/10:30Presentation by Labforward
10:30/11:15Joint discussion with Labforward
11:15/11:45Coffee break
11:45/12:45Group phase (previously identified topics)
12:45/13:00Closing discussion
13:00Official end
13:00/14:00Lunch on self-pay basis

After the official part of the workshop, Labforward GmbH offers us to visit them (Prenzlauer Allee 242, Haus 5, 10405 Berlin) from 14:00 to 16:00 for a company presentation and further discussion.

Registration

The registration for the workshop is open. Because the workshop takes places in person, space is limited, thus we recommend to register soon. When having been registered, you will get a confirmation email. If you have any questions or problems related to your registration, don’t hestitate to contact us via rdm [at] mpdl [dot] mpg [dot] de

    Speaker (short presentation)

    Should the slides be documented afterwards:

    Food Selection Dinner
    Are there any special food requests for dinner:

    Food Selection Lunch
    On a self-pay basis, there is the possibility to have lunch in the MPIIB canteen before and after the workshop. For planning the meals, it is helpful to announce them in advance, if possible:
    Do you want to have lunch at Thu 5th May?

    Do you want to have lunch at Fri 6th May?

    Do you want to joint the company presentation at Labforward GmbH on Fri 6th May from 14:00 to 16:00 CET?