ColonyTrak: a web tool and database system for managing experimental animal models

Background Genetically modified animal models are useful for understanding mechanisms of human disease and for development of new therapeutics. Maintaining animal colonies and performing genetic experiments requires careful record keeping. Many commercial or publicly available data management tools exist for animal recordkeeping, however they are rather complicated and may require technical expertise to install and maintain [1,2]. Consequently, biologists often use spreadsheets or database tools that are tied to a single computer, which limits accessibility by multiple users at different locations. Here, we have developed a user-friendly tool called ColonyTrak, designed for the biologist, to enable data management from any remote computer using a web browser.