Case Study: Northwestern University achieves faster, more accurate, and reproducible nematode field collections with Fulcrum

Northwestern graduate students, researchers, and technicians are using Fulcrum to collect field data in the Hawaiian Islands

Researchers in Northwestern University’s Department of Molecular Bioscience—a seven-person team studying natural diversity in Caenorhabditis elegans—needed a simple, reliable way to collect thousands of nematode samples during a three-week field study in Hawaii. Their challenge was tracking each sample at the point of collection without dependable cell service: they required offline GPS, barcode scanning, photo capture and an easy-to-use electronic workflow to replace paper notes and handwritten labels.

After testing several tools they chose Fulcrum, which was quick to configure and supported offline data capture with syncing when connectivity returned. The app cut per-sample collection time from three–five minutes to about 1.5 minutes or less, eliminated data-loss worries, improved sample tracking and accuracy, and enabled reproducible, large-scale data collection—facilitating what the team expects to be the largest nematode collection of its kind.

Northwestern University

Erik Andersen

Principal Investigator