wellmap — File format for 96-well plate layouts

Many medium-throughput experiments produce data in 24-, 96-, or 384-well plate format. However, it can be a challenge to keep track of which wells (e.g. A1, B2, etc.) correspond to which experimental conditions (e.g. genotype, drug concentration, replicate number, etc.) for large numbers of experiments. It can also be a challenge to write analysis scripts flexible enough to handle the different plate layouts that will inevitably come up as more and more experiments are run.

The wellmap package solves these challenges by introducing a TOML-based file format that succinctly describes the organization of wells on plates. The file format is designed to be human-readable and -writable, so it can serve as a standalone digital record. The file format can also be easily parsed in python and R to help write analysis scripts that will work regardless of how you (or your collaborators) organize wells on your plates.

Citation

Kundert, K. Wellmap: a file format for microplate layouts. BMC Res Notes 14, 164 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-021-05573-0