Omniflex has deployed a cloud-based cold chain monitoring system across 17 South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) research sites to provide continuous monitoring of temperature-controlled laboratory storage.

The system is designed to monitor refrigerators, ultra-low temperature freezers, cryogenic storage, incubators and other controlled laboratory environments where biological samples and research materials are stored.

Temperature excursions can put biological samples, vaccines and other research materials at risk, particularly when equipment failures occur outside normal working hours and are not identified through manual checks.

Omniflex said its Data2Desktop platform provides continuous oversight of storage conditions and sends automated alerts when temperatures move outside predefined thresholds. The system also records historical temperature data and generates reports to support auditing and regulatory requirements.

The deployment covers research facilities across the SAMRC network, giving staff a centralised view of monitored storage environments and enabling them to respond to potential temperature excursions.

“Many biological samples cannot simply be recreated if they’re lost,” said Ian Loudon, international sales and marketing manager at Omniflex.

“Whether it’s tissue samples, genomic material or vaccine research, a single refrigeration can undo years of scientific work and delay important research programmes. Continuous monitoring gives laboratory teams immediate visibility of changing conditions so they can intervene before those assets are compromised.”

The monitoring system is intended to reduce the reliance on manual temperature checks, which may not identify changes in storage conditions immediately. Automated alerts can notify laboratory teams of potential issues, allowing action to be taken when temperatures move beyond established limits.

The range of environments covered by the system reflects the different temperature requirements involved in biological sample storage. These can include standard laboratory refrigerators, ultra-low temperature freezers and cryogenic systems, alongside incubators and other controlled environments.

For research organisations, maintaining appropriate storage conditions is an important part of protecting biological materials and maintaining the integrity of samples used in ongoing research programmes. Temperature monitoring and data logging can also provide records of storage conditions for quality assurance and compliance purposes.

The deployment forms part of SAMRC’s wider approach to managing research infrastructure across its national network. By monitoring storage environments across multiple facilities through a centralised platform, laboratory teams can access temperature data and receive alerts without relying solely on routine manual checks.

Omniflex said the system is now providing continuous monitoring across the 17 SAMRC sites, with the aim of improving visibility of temperature-controlled storage and supporting the protection of biological samples and other temperature-sensitive research materials.