MyVivarium: A cloud-based lab animal colony management application with near-realtime ambient sensing

Research-animal colony management is a critical determinant of scientific productivity in labs conducting preclinical research. However, labs generally use ad hoc paper-based or spreadsheet-based methods to manage animal colonies. Current software-based solutions are limited based on cost, ease of implementation and deployment, and lack of remote access. In addition, most current solutions lack integration of realtime monitoring of ambient variables that affect colony wellbeing and breeding efficiency. Keeping these functionalities in mind, we built MyVivarium - a cloud-based animal colony database management web application that can be easily deployed and sustained for a cost comparable to starting and maintaining a lab website. For mouse colony management, MyVivarium allows for the tracking of individual mice or litters within holding-cage and breeding-cage records by multiple users at designated levels of access. Physical identities of cages are mapped onto the database using printable cage-card templates with cage-specific QR codes, enabling quick record updating using mobile devices. Tasks can be easily assigned with reminders for experiments or cage maintenance. Finally, MyVivarium integrates near-realtime internet-of-things (IoT)-based ambient sensing using low-cost open-source hardware to track humidity, temperature, vivarium-worker activity, and room illuminance. Taken together, MyVivarium is a novel open-source cloud-based application template that can serve as a low-cost, simple, and efficient solution for digital management of research animal colonies.