Test Samples

Test Samples in Uncountable offer a structured way to track and manage individual samples derived from a single experiment. This article introduces Test Samples and walks through the process for creating and using them within Uncountable.

What is a Test Sample?

Technically, a Test Sample is a full-fledged experiment in Uncountable, with its own inputs and outputs. What makes it a “test sample” is:

• It’s created from and linked to a parent experiment.
• It appears nested beneath the parent in dashboards, lab requests, and reports.
• It’s created either via a Lab Request or on the Measurements page, depending on your workflow.

Each Test Sample can:

• Inherit metadata from its parent (e.g., batch number, project, product line).
• Include specific inputs such as aging conditions or prep methods.
• Define a set of outputs and conditions to collect measurements.
• Follow a custom workflow, including review or approval steps if needed.

Why Use Test Samples?

Test Samples are designed for teams who need more structure and traceability in how testing is performed and results are captured. You might benefit from Test Samples if:

• You create multiple samples from a single experiment for different conditions (e.g. timepoints, aging processes, treatments).
• Testing is performed by a different team or lab, such as an analytical group that receives samples from R&D.
• You want to track results by specific Test Method (e.g. tensile vs. impact testing).
• You’re running multi-step workflows and want to collect data after each processing step.
• You need to organize replicates or variants as distinct, searchable entities — rather than as condition parameters or metadata.
• You want to streamline data entry for specialized users, showing only the information they’re responsible for.

In short, Test Samples are ideal when you want to capture structure in your testing process — whether that’s across time, condition, department, or protocol.

Creating Test Samples

You can create Test Samples in two primary ways, depending on your team’s workflow.

Option 1: From a Lab Request (Recommended)

This is the preferred method for structured, repeatable testing:

1. Create a new Lab Request including one or more experiments.
2. Under Measurements, add Test Samples using saved Test Methods.
3. Enter input values (e.g., timepoints, prep conditions).
4. Optionally add additional conditions (A), output groups (B), and child test samples (C).

Lab Requests provide a centralized place to manage what’s being tested, by whom, and how. They’re especially useful for multi-team coordination or formalized test panels.

Option 2: From the Measurements Page (Ad Hoc)

This method is best for flexible, on-the-fly creation:

1. Go to the Measurements page of an experiment.
2. Click + Create Test Samples.
3. If you’ve already created Test Methods, they will appear in this dropdown list (with any favorites at the top of the list).
4. Add a Test Sample Name.
5. Specify the Number of Test Samples you want to create.
6. Within Advanced Settings, users can also:
   • Select input and output groups to use from the selected Test Method
   • Specify the parent recipe workflow step to add the test sample to
   • Define ingredient behavior
   • Select existing experiments to draw outputs from

This approach is useful for one-off tests, exploration, or custom runs.

Viewing and Managing Test Samples

Once created, Test Samples are clearly displayed across the platform:

• On the Project Dashboard: Experiments with linked test samples appear on the project dashboard with a View Test Samples button. Clicking the button will navigate you to the test samples.
• On the Measurements Page: Samples are shown below parent outputs with bold headers and a light blue border. Within the test sample menu (accessible by clicking the test sample name), users can:
  • Quickly navigate to the test sample recipe, measurements, or technician view
  • Edit, duplicate, unlink, reassign, or reorder the test samples
  • View additional test sample metadata and other information
  • Add new test samples or nested child test samples
  • Generate lab requests from the test sample
  • Delete the test sample
• On a Lab Request: Samples are editable in-place, with options to update conditions, add additional test panels, or create multi-layer sample hierarchies.

Embedding Test Samples in Workflows

If your team runs the same types of tests as part of a repeated process — for example, in quality control or standardized R&D workflows — you can streamline creation by embedding Test Methods directly into your experiment workflows.

In the Workflow Editor (Inputs/Outputs → Workflows) each step in a workflow can be configured to automatically generate one or more Test Samples. To do so, users should:

1. Select a workflow and a specific step.
2. Use the Test Methods field on the right to assign templates to that step.

When a user reaches that step in the workflow, the system will automatically prompt (or create) the associated test samples based on the templates you’ve defined.

This level of automation ensures:

• Consistency across batches or experiments
• Fewer manual steps during test setup
• Seamless integration with the Technician View, which surfaces only the test samples a user needs to work on

This feature is especially useful when tests are highly standardized and repeated frequently — such as in batch release testing, timepoint studies, or shared inter-team workflows.

Best Practices

• Use Test Samples instead of condition parameters when the distinction represents a real sample or processing change.
• Leverage Test Methods for tests that happen often, especially if performed by other teams.
• Use a dedicated Test Sample for each timepoint or variant when doing stability studies or product comparison.
• Embed Test Sample creation in workflows if your lab follows defined, repeated processes.