Scientists have relied on paper lab books for generations. They are hard to search, easy to lose and difficult to share. Scribla moves that process into a digital environment where projects, experiments and notes are captured in a structured way, with scientific literature within reach and without the lab ever losing control over its data.
The challenge
A lab notebook holds sensitive research, often built up over years and shared across a team. Handing that data entirely to a cloud service simply isn't an option for many labs. The task was to build a full, collaborative lab notebook that is fast and pleasant to use, yet can be run entirely by the lab itself on its own server.
Our approach
We built Scribla as a modern web application on top of Next.js and Supabase. It comes in two flavours: a hosted version, and a fully self-hosted variant that runs on the lab's own server through Docker, including the complete Supabase backend. That way research data never leaves the lab's own infrastructure and control stays entirely in their hands.
Scribla has its own mascot: a scientist. That choice makes the product instantly recognisable and far more approachable than the average research tool.
A lab notebook is technical by nature, but it doesn't have to feel clinical. The mascot gives Scribla a face and a human, curious tone.
The result is a brand serious enough for science, but friendly enough to work with every day.
The solution
Scribla combines structured documentation with collaboration and full control over the data. Everything a lab needs, in one place.
Structured lab notebook
Work from project to experiment to note, with a rich text editor and reusable templates for formatting, images and protocols. Everything clearly organised and searchable.
PubMed integration
Search and reference scientific literature through NCBI's PubMed API, right from your notes. Research and documentation in a single motion.
Team collaboration
Invite team members and work together on projects and experiments, with roles, granular permissions and join requests.
Self-hosted & PDF export
Run everything on your own server through Docker and export notes and experiments to PDF. Fully self-managed, with no lock-in.
The result
A full electronic lab notebook that replaces the paper book, works faster and is easier to search, while the lab remains the sole owner of its data. With PubMed within reach, team collaboration, PDF export and the option to run everything self-hosted on its own server, Scribla is ready for serious scientific work.
Technology
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