As we work to continuously bring you new and improved features and functionality, we set aside one week each year to focus on adding as many detail improvements to the platform as possible. There are more than 20 updates to share with you this year in addition to the features in our monthly product release notes.
Molecular Biology
Benchling’s Molecular Biology application is a cutting-edge in silico design tool that supports the latest scientific workflows.
Annotation notes
Add notes to sequence annotations using the new Notes field.
Select primers from worklists
Select primers from a worklist when finding and attaching them to sequences.
Bulk remove items from sequences
Users can now bulk remove annotations, attached primers, and translations when selecting multiple DNA sequences.
Notebook
Benchling’s Notebook application is an intuitive user interface used to record notes and results. It interfaces with every part of the Benchling platform to streamline workflows and knowledge sharing.
Scientific Notation Toggle
Users can now enable and disable scientific notation using the scientific notation toggle.
New table formulas
New formulas in unstructured tables include ISERROR to test for errors and ISBLANK to test if a cell is empty.
New Table of Contents
A table of contents now displays next to the right-side menu. Users can mouse over it when working in different sections of their entry to more easily navigate between sections.
Copy and paste structured tables into templates
Users can now copy and paste structured tables into Notebook templates.
Data type indicators at column head
Column headers now display their column type using icons. A tooltip displays when hovering over each icon. To enable this feature, contact support@benchling.com.
Registry and Inventory
Benchling’s Registry and Inventory applications combine to form a powerful solution for sample registration, storage, and tracking.
Drag and drop name template parts
Users can now reorder name template parts by dragging and dropping the chips.
Automatic Filtering when Searching Registry Schemas by Name
When searching by name in registry settings, results automatically filter based on text entered in the search bar.
Improved warning displays when archiving contained samples
The warning that displays when archiving contained samples now explains that it will archive all contained samples stored in other locations or associated with results.
Schemas
Schemas organize specific metadata associated with entries across experiments, projects, and groups.
Collapsible image previews with multiple image blob links
Users can now collapse and expand blob link file previews.
Lab Automation
Benchling for Lab Automation enables seamless integration of Benchling to liquid handlers, plate readers, imaging instruments, and more.
Update existing schema fields with output file processing
Users can now update existing schema fields when processing output files using three new values: CREATE, UPDATE, or UPDATE_OR_CREATE.
Confirmation modal displays when uploading the same file multiple times
When uploading the same file to the output file config, a confirmation modal displays with this message:“A file with this name has already been processed with this processor. Are you sure you want to process this file again?”
Set default values for run in entry template
Use notebook templates to set default values for a Lab Automation run.
Developer Platform
With the developer platform, you can programmatically access and edit your data in Benchling. Integrate with instruments in your lab, keep Benchling in sync with other software you use, create dashboards and charts of Benchling data, and more.
Archive runs via API
New API endpoint to archive runs that are not embedded in a notebook entry.
API documentation updates
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Example code is now available when creating and registering entities via API. To learn more, visit the new guide.
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Example text was moved from pre-filled fields to descriptions so users can reference examples when entering text into the field.
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Added documentation on the default API rate limit, requesting increases, and identifying and handling 429’s.
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Added documentation on the parent-child link relationship, how they are represented in the API, and common use cases.
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Updated documentation on uploading results to the API.
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Removed inaccurate type and strand fields from AA sequence-specific API documentation.
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Added an example in the documentation for uploading blob links via the API.