JCMS was discontinued in 2015.
Here's what to use instead.
The Jackson Laboratory Colony Management System (JCMS) served the research community for over a decade. When NIH funding for the project ended, Jackson Lab discontinued active development in 2015. The open-source code was left on GitHub, but without commercial support, bug fixes, or security updates, thousands of labs were left searching for an alternative.
ConductColony was built to fill that gap: a modern, cloud-based colony management system that doesn't depend on grant funding to survive.
Feature-by-feature comparison
See how ConductColony compares to the legacy JCMS system.
| Feature | JCMS | ConductColony |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-based | ||
| Active development | ||
| Commercial support | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Breeding management | ||
| Genotype tracking | ||
| Pedigree visualization | Basic | 3-gen interactive |
| IACUC protocol tracking | Basic | Full with alerts |
| CSV import | ||
| QR code cage cards | ||
| Mobile responsive | ||
| Multi-user roles | ||
| Activity audit log | ||
| Stripe billing | ||
| API access | Pro plan | |
| Modern tech stack | ||
| Automatic backups |
Why labs are switching
No installation required
JCMS required a local Java runtime, a MySQL database, and IT support to install and maintain. ConductColony runs in the browser. Sign up and start in under two minutes.
Commercially sustained
JCMS depended on a single NIH grant. When that grant ended, the software died. ConductColony is built and maintained by ConductScience, a commercial scientific software company.
Modern feature set
Interactive pedigree trees, QR cage cards, AI-powered CSV import, mobile-responsive design, and real-time protocol alerts that JCMS never offered.
Built to last
ConductColony is commercially sustained by ConductScience, a scientific equipment and software company. Our business model is subscription revenue from the labs we serve — not dependent on grant funding that can be discontinued. Your colony data is safe with us.
How to switch from JCMS
Migrating your colony data takes about 15 minutes.
Export your JCMS data
Open your JCMS MySQL database and export the mouse, genotype, and mating tables to CSV files. If you still have the JCMS application running, use the built-in reporting to generate CSV exports. If the application no longer runs, connect directly to the MySQL database with a tool like MySQL Workbench or DBeaver.
Use the ConductColony import wizard
Sign up for a free ConductColony account and navigate to the Import page. Upload your CSV files. Our AI-powered column mapper automatically recognizes JCMS field names and maps them to the correct ConductColony fields — strain aliases, sex codes, genotype formats, and date formats are all normalized automatically.
Verify and go live
Review the preview screen to confirm your data looks correct. Click Import, and your colony is live. Every import has a 24-hour undo window, so you can roll back if anything looks wrong. Invite your lab members, print QR cage cards, and you're done.
Frequently asked questions
The JCMS source code is still on GitHub under the MIT license, but it has not received updates since 2015. The Java client requires a local MySQL setup, and there is no community maintaining bug fixes or security patches. Most labs have moved on to modern alternatives.
Yes. Export your JCMS MySQL tables (mouse, genotype, mating) to CSV files, then use our import wizard. The AI column mapper recognizes common JCMS field names automatically.
ConductColony covers all core JCMS functionality: animal tracking, breeding pair management, genotype recording, and protocol management. It also adds features JCMS never had, including cloud access, QR cage cards, pedigree visualization, mobile support, and activity audit logs.
ConductColony is commercially sustained by ConductScience, not grant funding. But we also believe in no vendor lock-in: you can export all your data as CSV at any time from the Settings page.
Yes. The free tier supports 2 users and 50 cages with full animal, cage, strain, and protocol management. Breeding, genotype tracking, and pedigree features are available on the Lab plan at $29/month.
Switch to ConductColony — Free
Import your JCMS data in minutes. No credit card required.