Step 1: Create a NAb Assay Design

2024-03-28

Premium Feature — Available with all Premium Editions of LabKey Server. Learn more or contact LabKey.

An assay design describes to LabKey Server how to interpret uploaded instrument data. For a NAb assay, that includes specifying what samples, controls, and viruses are in each well of the experimental plate. The sample data included with the tutorial matches a default template and design, but you can customize either or both to suit your own experiment. To begin the Tutorial: NAb Assay, you will first create a workspace, then create a plate template and assay design.

  • Download and unzip the sample data package LabKeyDemoFiles.zip. You will upload files from this unzipped [LabKeyDemoFiles] location later.

  • Log in to your server and navigate to your "Tutorials" project. Create it if necessary.
    • If you don't already have a server to work on where you can create projects, start here.
    • If you don't know how to create projects and folders, review this topic.
  • Create a new subfolder named "NAb Assay Tutorial". Choose the folder type "Assay."

Create a New NAb Plate Template

Assay designs may be created from scratch, or we can use pre-configured designs for specific assay types which are already customized with commonly used fields for the specific type of assay. In the case of a plate-based assay like NAb, first we create a plate template, which describes the contents in each well of the plate.

  • You should be in the "NAb Assay Tutorial" folder you created.
  • In the Assay List web part, click Manage Assays.
  • Click Configure Plate Templates.
  • Select new 384 well (16x24) NAb high-throughput (single plate dilution) template from the dropdown.
  • Click Create.
  • In the Plate Template Editor:
    • Enter Template Name: "NAb Tutorial Plate 1".
    • Make no other changes.
  • Click Save & Close.
  • You'll see your new template on the Available Plate Templates list.

This default template works with our sample data. When working with your own data and plates, you might need to customize the template as described in Customize NAb Plate Template.

Create a New NAb Assay Design

Next we create a new assay design which uses our new plate template. Our sample data is from a high-throughput NAb assay in which dilutions occur within a single plate. In addition, the instrument used here provides metadata about the experiment in its own file separate from the data file. For more about metadata input options, see NAb Plate File Formats.

  • Click the link NAb Assay Tutorial to get to the main folder page.
  • Click New Assay Design in the Assay List web part.
  • Click Specialty Assays.
  • Choose TZM-bl Neutralization (NAb), High-throughput (Single Plate Dilution) as your Instrument Specific Data Format.
  • Under Assay Location, select "Current Folder (NAb Assay Tutorial)".
  • Click Choose TZM-Bl Neutralization (NAb), High-Throughput (Single Plate Dilution) Assay.
  • On the Assay Designer page, under Assay Properties, enter:
    • Name: "NAb Tutorial Assay Design".
    • Plate Template: "NAb Tutorial Plate 1".
    • Metadata Input Format: "File Upload (metadata only)".
  • Review the other sections of fields, but leave all at their default settings for this tutorial.
  • Click Save.
  • The Assay List now shows your new assay design.

Related Topics

Start Over | Next Step (2 of 4)