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Traditional file systems rely on folders to organize data, but as datasets grow larger and more complex, this method becomes inefficient. At TeselaGen, we take a different approach—one that emphasizes speed, flexibility, and ease of use. Instead of rigid folder structures, we provide a powerful search feature, flexible tagging, smart filters, and project-based organization, allowing you to efficiently manage your biological data without getting lost in hierarchical structures.
Why No Folders?
In many software applications, folders create a hierarchical structure that can be useful for small datasets but can become cumbersome as the number of files increases. Here’s why TeselaGen avoids folders:
Biological data is interconnected – A single DNA construct, experiment, or protocol may belong to multiple projects, making rigid folder structures limiting.
Folders require manual organization – Users must remember where they placed files, which can lead to duplicated or misplaced data.
Difficulties in collaboration – Team members may structure folders differently, leading to inconsistencies and confusion.
Instead of folders, TeselaGen offers a more powerful and scalable approach based on search, tags, filters, and project-based organization.
The Power of Search
With TeselaGen’s advanced search capabilities, you can quickly find what you need without navigating through a maze of folders. Our search is designed to:
Locate DNA sequences, protocols, experiments, and results in seconds.
Use filters and metadata to refine searches.
Extended properties can be used for most of the relevant entities in our system. Extended properties are a great way to add a new column of data to almost any table. For example, you may have particular data that you wish to capture for every DNA sequence in your database. It could be a name, a number, or perhaps a URL.
Search within sequences for specific motifs, annotations, or primer binding sites.
Rather than remembering where something is stored, you simply search for it—saving time and reducing frustration.
Searching Information
The global search tool is available from the Landing Page or by using the corresponding keyboard shortcut. From there, you can search by name for different entities in all your libraries.
You can also apply tags in the global search tool.
Important: This global search tool will look for entities based on their names.
If you need a deeper search based on the entity's properties, inside libraries, you can search by name using the search tool on top of each library view or the filters and metadata.
This allows you to do specific searches or arrange by order (alphabetical, by values, etc.).
When using filters in libraries, you can specify a range for creation or modification dates to narrow down your results.
Entities can also be classified using tags (see section below), and these can also be used to see specific types of data by filtering tags or projects.
Organizing with Tags
Instead of folders, TeselaGen offers a tagging system that enables flexible organization. Tags allow you to:
Assign multiple categories to a single item (e.g., a DNA construct can be tagged as “CRISPR,” “Synthetic Biology,” and “2025 Experiments” simultaneously).
Standardize data organization across your team. The management of tags could be delegated to specific users within the organization.
Notice that tags can contain sub-tags or what we call “options” that can be added to any tag easily.
If you prefer to upload tags in bulk, you can select the option “Upload Tags” and upload a file in .zip, .csv, or .xlsx format. Template files are available for you to use the right formatting;
Quickly filter and retrieve related data with just a click.
Tags can contain sub-tags or “options”.
📝 Example: Organizing a DNA Assembly Project
Let’s say you are working on a DNA assembly project. Instead of placing sequences, protocols, and results into separate folders, you can tag them accordingly:
Tag by Project – "Gene Synthesis Study"
Tag by Technique – "Gibson Assembly"
Tag by Status – "In Progress” or “Completed"
📝 Example: Organizing your DNA Sequences Library
When managing your DNA sequence library, assigning multiple tags to each entity based on the categories you want to track will make it much easier for the team to apply filters and find what they need.
Tip: Before creating your tagging system, check if TeselaGen already tracks that information through built-in fields like "Sequence Type" (e.g., circular, linear, or oligo) or Aliases. Avoid duplicating existing fields with tags to keep things clean.
Also, remember you can filter by extended properties. When designing your tag system, consider the complexity you really need — keeping it simple will make your library easier to organize, browse, and maintain.
If you have too many fields displayed, you can use the gear icon in any library view to hide the ones you don’t need and keep only the fields that help with your search.
Now, at any time, you can pull up all relevant items by searching for a tag rather than digging through multiple folders.
Tag by target molecule – "GFP"
Tag by Owner – "Author name, Research Lab"
Tag by Status – "In Progress” or “Completed"
Browsing with Filters
While search and tags allow you to quickly locate specific files, filters enable you to explore and browse through your data in a structured way. TeselaGen’s filtering system allows you to:
Filter by Data Type – Easily find DNA sequences, experimental results, protocols, or inventory items.
Filter by Status – View only completed, in-progress, or pending experiments.
Filter by Date – Find recent data or historical records with a time-based filter.
Filter by User – See work assigned to a specific team member.
By applying multiple filters, you can instantly refine large datasets into manageable, relevant subsets without navigating a complex folder tree.
Organizing Data within Projects
TeselaGen enables project-based organization. Projects are shared spaces where users can group data for sharing. Projects serve as a way to:
Group sequences, protocols, experiments, and results under a common objective.
Define collaboration scopes for team members working on the same initiative.
Maintain contextual continuity, ensuring that related data remains linked.
Users can create projects for several reasons, to sequester their work into a sandbox where they can work privately or invite others to work collaboratively. You can also create projects that are shared with everyone and become a common space or curated registry.
🚨 NOTE: If you share something that is linked to an entity within your private project, the private entity can be accessed through the linked entity. For example, if you create a design in a private project and then share a part within the design, the private design will show up in the "Linked Designs" of that part and can be accessed through it.
📝 Example: Organizing a SynBio Project
Suppose you’re working on a Synthetic Biology Strain Development project. Instead of spreading related data across various locations, you can:
Create a project called “SynBio Strain Development.”
Assign relevant DNA constructs, experimental results, and workflows to that project.
Use tags like “Gene Editing” and “Flux Balance Analysis” to refine searches.
Apply filters to view only completed experiments or recent modifications.
Now, whether you need a specific plasmid sequence, a protocol for transformation, or experimental data, everything is grouped under a single project while still remaining searchable and filterable across TeselaGen.
A Future-Proofed Approach
By combining search, tags, filters, and project-based organization, TeselaGen provides a modern and scalable way to manage biological data. This approach:
Reduces time spent organizing files manually.
Prevents data duplication and misplacement.
Allows easy cross-referencing of related items.
Ensures seamless collaboration across teams.
Whether you’re working on strain design, synthetic biology workflows, or experimental tracking, TeselaGen’s data organization system ensures everything is accessible when you need it.
Ready to experience the power of search, tags, filters, and projects? Log in to TeselaGen today and discover a more efficient way to manage your biotech data!