Available
96-well plate layout planner
Spreadsheets and click-to-fill grids can draw a plate. They do not reliably enforce controls, replicates, edge-well rules, or balanced randomization—and they rarely tell you which constraints failed.
For bench scientists and core-lab staff who need a defensible 96-well assignment before they pipette, not a drawing of an empty plate.
No unsatisfied constraints on this example. Edge-well rules for a 96-well plate layout.
How it works
01
Upload samples
Provide a CSV or XLSX of sample identifiers and the metadata that your constraints depend on.
02
Set constraints
Choose plate count or let the tool compute it. Define controls, blanks, replicates, reserved wells, edge-well rules, colocation or separation, and randomization.
03
Preview the map
Inspect an interactive plate map and a validation report. Unsatisfied constraints are listed explicitly—never hidden.
04
Export the record
Download a human-readable plate map plus a reproducibility record: inputs, constraints, seed/version, and layout.
Constraints and checks
- 96-well plate format, with architecture that can later support other densities
- Controls, blanks, and reserved wells
- Replicates and case–control balance
- Samples that must be separated or colocated
- Edge-well rules to reduce evaporation and position bias
- Randomization with a recorded seed
- CSV/XLSX plate-map export
What it will not do
- It is not a LIMS, inventory system, or experiment notebook.
- V1 will not emit liquid-handler worklists or instrument-specific files we have not validated.
- It does not analyze plate-reader data or fit standard curves.
- It will not invent constraints from vague prompts without showing them for confirmation.
Why the edge is a constraint
- Edge-well rules for a 96-well plate layout
The outer 36 wells of a 96-well plate are the usual source of evaporation and position bias. The planner can reserve them, put blanks or controls there, and report it if a sample still lands on the edge.
Trust, files, and price
- Free, including export
- No account required
- Runs in your browser; sample files never leave your machine
- Deterministic layout for a given seed and version
- No patient-identifiable data by design
Free, including CSV/XLSX export and the reproducibility record. No account.
Get product updates
No account is created. We will only use this address for occasional product notes about this tool.
Questions
- Can I exclude edge wells?
- Yes. Edge-well rules are a first-class constraint: you can reserve the outer rows and columns for blanks, controls, or nothing at all, and keep unknowns off the edge.
- Does it randomize across plates?
- The first version assigns samples across one or more 96-well plates while respecting the constraints you set. Multi-plate batch effects are in scope; the validation report will say if a constraint could not be met.
- Is this a free plate map template?
- Yes. The planner is free: constraint-aware assignment, explicit validation, and CSV or XLSX export from your browser. It is a working layout tool, not a blank grid template.
- Do I need R, Python, or an account?
- No. The planner is a self-service web tool. You do not need Bioconductor, a local install, or an account for a one-off layout.
- What file do I get back?
- A human-readable CSV or XLSX plate map, plus a record of the input summary, constraints, random seed, software version, and generated layout.
- Will it write Hamilton or Tecan worklists?
- Not in the first version. The internal model is kept generic so those exports can be added later, but we will only ship formats we can validate.