Moustra Documentation
Learn how to use Moustra with our comprehensive guides and tutorials. Find step-by-step instructions for every feature.
Moustra's documentation covers everything you need to run a mouse colony from day one. Guides are organized into three areas: Editing (adding cages, recording matings, logging litters, genotyping, and updating animal records), Navigation (working with the cage grid, rack visualization, family-tree view, IACUC protocol pages, and the dashboard), and Advanced (CSV import with AI column mapping, Slack integration, cage card printing, cost tracking, and daily/weekly report configuration).
How to find what you need
- Use the search bar above to find any guide by keyword — try "wean", "IACUC", or "import".
- Filter by category using the buttons below to browse by topic area.
- Still have questions? Contact our team — we're happy to help.
Quick Edit Cell
Learn how to quickly edit cells in data grids using Edit Mode. Toggle Edit Mode from the toolbar, then double-click any editable cell to modify its value.
How to Create a New Animal
Step-by-step instructions for adding a new animal, including key fields and tips.
How to Add a New Strain
This guide will walk you through the process of creating a new strain entry in Moustra.
How to Add Breeding Animals
This guide will walk you through the process of creating multiple breeding animals at once in Moustra.
How to Add a New Cage
This guide will walk you through the process of creating a new cage in Moustra.
How to End Cages
This guide will walk you through the process of ending a cage in Moustra to mark it as no longer in active use.
How to End Animals
This guide will walk you through the process of ending animals in Moustra, including how to select the end type, reason, and date.
How to Add a Mating
This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a new mating in Moustra.
How to Add a Litter
This guide will walk you through the process of creating a new litter entry in Moustra.
How to Migrate Your Data
This guide will walk you through the process of importing your existing colony data into Moustra using the data migration tool.
How to Genotype Animals
Assign and update the genotypes of your animals after lab results come in.
How to Wean a Litter
Move every pup in a litter into its own cage and end the litter in a single step.
How to Use the Cage Grid
Switch to Grid View for a visual, rack-based layout of all cages to quickly find empty slots or check occupancy at a glance.
How to View the Family Tree
Visualize an animal's lineage and offspring to understand genetic relationships and plan breeding pairs.
How to Print Cage Cards
Print cage labels with animal tags, strain, and IACUC information for physical cage identification.
How to Set Up IACUC Protocols
Create IACUC protocols with species limits so Moustra tracks approved animal usage and prevents exceeding caps.
How to Connect Slack
Receive real-time notifications in Slack for litters, weans, and colony milestones without logging into Moustra.
How to Configure Daily Reports
Set up automated email summaries of colony activity delivered each morning to your team.
How to Use the Rack View
Visualize your vivarium as an interactive rack layout to spot empty slots, check occupancy, and drag cages between racks.
How to Invite Team Members
Add colleagues to your Moustra organization, assign roles, and control what each person can see or edit.
How to Transfer Animals Between Cages
Move one or more animals from their current cage into another cage without losing their history or tags.
How to Set Up Plug Tracking
Record plug observations, anchor the embryonic day clock at E0.5, and target a harvest day for embryo collection in Moustra.
How to Use Cheese AI
Ask plain-English questions about your colony and get answers from your live Moustra data through the built-in Cheese AI assistant.
How to Disband a Mating
End a breeding pair or trio in Moustra by disbanding the mating, which stops new auto-litters and records when and why it ended.
How to Use the Plug Events Page
Read, filter, update, and export plug events from the Plug Events page so you can track every timed mating from observation through harvest.
How to Customize Cage Card Templates
Customize cage card templates in Moustra to match your institution's required fields, physical card size, and printing setup.
How to Export Colony Data to CSV
Export any list view in Moustra to CSV for downstream analysis, backups, or institutional reporting — filtered and column-scoped exactly the way you see it.
How to Use the Mobile App
Run colony work from your phone — log in, browse or scan cages, add or end animals at the bench, and check the dashboard on the go.
How to Manage Genes and Alleles
Define the genes and alleles your lab works with so genotype entry stays fast, consistent, and accurate across every animal record.
How to Track IACUC Protocol Amendments
Log every IACUC protocol amendment in Moustra, attach approval letters, and keep a clean audit trail of approved changes per protocol.
How to Configure Weekly Reports
Set up automated weekly summaries of colony performance, cage utilization, and protocol compliance for lab leadership review.
How to Bulk-Create Animals
Add many animals at once by specifying cage, strain, source, IACUC protocol, quantity, and sex breakdown — Moustra creates the records and assigns tags automatically.
How to Set Up Microsoft Teams Notifications
Connect Moustra to a Microsoft Teams channel via Incoming Webhook so colony events post directly into your team's workspace.
How to Revive an Animal
Restore an ended animal back to active status if it was marked ended by mistake.
How to End a Litter
Mark a litter as ended without weaning the pups — useful when a litter was created by mistake or didn't survive.
How to Mark an Animal as Weaned
Record a single animal's wean date and optionally move it to a new cage from the animal detail page.
How to Mark a Tail Sample as Done
Record that the genotyping tail or ear biopsy has been completed so the reminder clears.
How to Use the Animal Actions Menu
Quick reference for the six options in the Actions dropdown on the animal detail page.
How to Configure Default Wean and Tail Sample Ages
Set lab-wide and per-strain defaults for when new pups are weaned and when their genotyping sample is due.
How to Track Wean and Tail Sample Reminders
See upcoming wean and tail sample dates in the notification bell and the calendar popover.