Read Time: 5 min
Laboratory automation quick brief:
- Laboratory automation solutions can help streamline processes in the laboratory helping analysts save time, as well as reducing costs and errors.
- There are several factors to consider when implementing automation within your lab so it is important to assess your laboratory and workflow needs.
- Laboratory automation including liquid handling platforms continues to evolve as new innovative technologies arise promising further benefits and solutions for laboratory workflows.
The importance of precision in scientific work is key to maintaining the quality of laboratory research. Scientists and researchers are continually working to optimize their workflows to save time and reduce errors within their research.
An area where significant advancements have been made is in laboratory software solutions, particularly in streamlining workflows through automation and intelligent data management.
The use of robotic automation for scientific excellence is pushing laboratories to new and exciting levels of productivity and research.
Why is laboratory automation important?
Consider a scenario in which a research group is evaluating a new drug compound’s effectiveness. Normally, this procedure would require a lot of human labor, such as serial dilutions and careful pipetting but with the use of an automated robotic system, this entire process is streamlined for efficient results, saving both time and money during the research process.
Instead of having to conduct technical repeats, which is repetitive and time-consuming, implementing robotics to carry out manual tasks can give researchers the time to focus on other more complex work. Liquid Handling Platforms can be key in helping to support your laboratory in carrying out these tasks.
What are liquid handling systems?
A liquid handling system is a piece of equipment used to automate the process of transferring liquids. These systems are generally used in tasks like mixing solutions, diluting samples, or preparing reagents and can range from simple manual pipettes to complex robotic systems.
Liquid handling robots, like the Andrew+ pipetting robot, are advanced versions of these systems. They can have robotic arms with various adapters and easy-to-use software to precisely handle liquids, reducing human error and increasing efficiency. These liquid-handling robots can vary in complexity and size with features like automated pipetting, plate handling, and barcode scanning. By automating repetitive tasks, robotic liquid handlers free up scientists to focus on more critical aspects of their research. Overall, liquid handling systems, especially robotic ones, play a vital role in modern laboratories by enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of scientific experiments.
Advanced liquid handling laboratory automation systems are seamlessly integrated with intelligent software that coordinates entire workflows, ensuring an error-free process from start to finish.
Implementing a New Automated liquid handling System
The steps towards implementing a new system solution begins with a thorough assessment of your laboratory needs, this step is crucial in deciding what automation platform is best for your research needs. This includes identifying pain points in existing workflows, evaluating available technologies, and devising a comprehensive strategy for integration.
Having streamlined integration is integral to laboratories when moving to automated systems. Moving to an automated solution can be beneficial in simplifying complex procedures, from data collection and analysis to equipment control and inventory management. Choosing to move to an automated system within your laboratory can improve efficiency, and compliance with regulatory standards, and even accelerate your discovery research.
Andrew Alliance specializes in working with laboratories through this transformative process. Their team works closely with researchers and scientists from the conceptualization stage to system deployment and beyond. By leveraging their expertise in liquid handling automation, they empower laboratories to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency and reliability.
The Challenges to Consider When Implementing Automated Sample Preparation
When deciding on an automated sample preparation platform for your laboratory some of the factors to consider include:
Cost – Automated platforms can vary in price depending on their size and the functionality required. You must also consider additional cost factors such as how much training will be required to get users up and running on the system, whether there will be a lot of maintenance required or will you require add-ons to your system for future projects.
Expertise – Is the interface user-friendly or will you require an understanding of programming to develop methods on the system?
Maintenance – It’s important to assess how much maintenance is required for the liquid handling system. How often will the system be serviced and how will that fit around your testing schedule?
What are the Key Benefits of Automating Sample Preparation?
There are several benefits to automating your sample preparation workflows in the laboratory:
Improved Efficiency – Through automation, you will be able to assign your repetitive laboratory tasks to your new streamlined system, this will enable researchers to focus their efforts on more complex work.
Regulations and Compliance – Modern software solutions facilitate compliance with strict regulatory requirements, this works to minimize compliance-related expenditure.
Enhanced Accuracy – By using automation, the level of accuracy within your laboratory work will show a significant increase. Allowing for precise and repeatable results.
Time savings – Replacing hands-on manual sample preparation with automation can save time not only for the user but also the preparation time. Skilled personnel can be freed up from repetitive manual preparation tasks to focus on other projects in the lab.
Cost saving – Laboratory automation can lead to cost savings as a result of improved efficiency.
Scalability – Given the reproducible nature of automated platforms, sample preparation methods can be easily transferred between sites allowing for high scalability.
Improved ergonomics – Manual pipetting large numbers of samples can be a tedious task. Automating these processes can help reduce the fatigue and strain associated with repetitive manual pipetting.
Case Study: Andrew Alliance Automated Liquid Handling Systems in Use
In a case study carried out by researchers at Bayer, the team demonstrated the benefits of switching from manual liquid handling to the Andrew Alliance liquid handling robot. The team developed an automated high-throughput method of Oligonucleotide-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles for High Throughput In-Vitro Screening.
While LNP formulation technology can prove to be a time-consuming process, the use of automated sample preparation allowed for the preparation of up to 96 formulations in 2 hours. In addition, the results were comparable to manual pipetting with adequate well-to-well repeatability (n=8).
A New Era in Laboratory Research
As laboratory robotics continues to evolve and innovate, we can anticipate that the future of automation within laboratories holds immense promise. The integration of artificial intelligence systems and machine learning algorithms within the research world does bring a great scope for advancement to the scientific field.
Innovations in cloud-based data management will facilitate seamless collaboration among geographically separated research teams, fostering a network of scientific growth.
The Andrew+ pipetting robot offers fully automated liquid handling using electronic pipettes and labware holders called Dominos.
To find out more about the Andrew+ pipetting robot, please click on the request a live demo button.
