elabftw
eLabFTW is a free, modern, secure electronic lab notebook for research teams. It stores experiments and lab resources, supports timestamps, molecule editor, LaTeX, and multi-team hosting.
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A self-hosted, open-source electronic lab notebook for secure research data management.
Core Features
- Dual core: experiment notebook + resource database
- Trusted and blockchain timestamping
- Molecule editor, LaTeX support, calendar booking
- 21 languages, fine-grained permissions
- One-command Docker deployment, multi-team
What It Can't Do
- •Requires Linux/Docker admin skills; best for teams with IT support; overkill for single-user; commercial support available.
Use Cases
- University labs centralizing experiment data
- Biotech companies tracking reagents and cell lines
- Projects requiring audit trails (e.g. GDPR)
- Collaborative research across multiple labs
Detailed Introduction
eLabFTW is a self-hosted electronic lab notebook (ELN) designed for research teams and institutions. It allows scientists to store, organize, and share experimental data in a secure, web-based environment. The platform includes a lab notebook for experiments and a database for managing lab resources such as antibodies, plasmids, cell lines, and equipment. It features trusted and blockchain timestamping, a calendar for equipment booking, molecule editor, LaTeX support, todolist, and a public REST API. eLabFTW supports 21 languages, offers advanced permission controls, and is built with security and auditability in mind, making it suitable for sensitive research. It is designed to be installed on a server (via Docker) and accessed through a browser, supporting multiple research teams on a single instance.
Troubleshooting & FAQ (2)
TroubleshootingWhy does ElabFTW 5.5.11 throw 'Call to undefined method emitLog' when importing compounds via CSV?
This is a known bug in ElabFTW 5.5.11 where the logger is not properly implemented in CompoundsCsv.php. The import crashes after the first compound. To fix it, either wait for the next stable release (5.5.12+) or manually replace the file src/Import/CompoundsCsv.php with the corrected version from the main branch on GitHub. Download it from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/elabftw/elabftw/main/src/Import/CompoundsCsv.php and overwrite the existing file in your installation, then restart the service. The command bin/console import:compounds will then work as expected.
TroubleshootingWhy can't I delete or edit spreadsheet files in grid view after upgrading OpenProject to 5.5.8?
This is a known regression in version 5.5.8 where the contextual menu for .xlsx files in grid view no longer shows actions like delete, edit filename, upload new version, archive, or more information. As a temporary workaround, downgrade to 5.3.9 where these features worked correctly. Watch issue #6773 for a permanent fix.
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Getting Started
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Install the software
Double-click the downloaded installer and follow the prompts
Step 1: Prepare a Linux server (≥1GB RAM) with Docker installed
Step 2: Follow the official Docker deployment guide at https://doc.elabftw.net
Step 3: Access the web interface, set up admin account, and start using
- Step 1: Prepare a Linux server (≥1GB RAM) with Docker installed
- Step 2: Follow the official Docker deployment guide at https://doc.elabftw.net
- Step 3: Access the web interface, set up admin account, and start using
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Stop and remove containers and images: `docker-compose down && docker system prune -a` (backup data first).
No Extra Dependencies
Ready to use after download. No additional runtime required.
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