A significant technological progress that occurred recently has been the implementation of liquid handling robots that increased throughput and accuracy while eliminating human error by automating processes. It is a game changer in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic sectors, where laboratory automation is evolving. With demands for research and testing skyrocketing, automating those systems has become a critical need in labs across the United States.
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Enhancing the Efficiency of Biotech and Pharmaceutical Research
Liquid handlers are key components in biotech and pharmaceutical companies for accelerating drug discovery and development. In a publication in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, they explain how the automation of drug screening saves time to market but also promotes reproducibility. A liquid handler robot can also reduce the number of manual pipetting processes so that researchers are now able to focus on data analysis and innovation instead of built-out rote tasks.
Tightening Up Diagnostics
In any clinical diagnostics application, it is imperative that test development remain precise, especially PCR testing, immunoassays, and next-gen sequencing. Liquid handlers also improve accuracy by standardizing sample preparation processes, which reduces variability between tests. As reported by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, automated liquid handling has reduced contamination risk and also increased the end diagnostic reliability. High-throughput laboratories that can analyze many patient samples at once benefit from these systems, enabling them to turn around results more quickly and report consistent results.
Reducing Cost and Human Error
Pipetting is one of the most manually intensive laboratory tasks that is prone to human error, and its manual execution can result in higher total costs due to inaccurate results and the wastage of expensive reagents. Liquid handling robots remove those risks by executing tasks with programmed precision. Automation overcomes sample loss and the depletion of valuable reagents by optimizing the volumes of liquid transfer. Now, despite the considerable capital outlay required to get into the automation tech game in the first place, the improvements in labor and material savings pay for the investment many times over, making automation a wisely made investment for any research institution and diagnostic facility.
Liquid Handling in U.S. Laboratories
The emerging automation technology in these areas is the integration of liquid handlers with AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning, making the lab workflows optimal. Indeed, AI-powered liquid handling systems will go further by tailoring protocols on demand as real-time data are generated. The expanding adoption of these technologies in the U.S. laboratory sector is driven by advancing medication personalization and rapid diagnostic testing.
Final Thoughts
The automation of laboratory processes in life sciences is being revolutionized one droplet at a time: liquid handling robots have increased in popularity by making workflows far more efficient, more accurate, and, in many cases, even cheaper. These systems serve as important tools for driving scientific discovery and patient care in an era of evolving research and diagnostics.
Are you considering automation in your lab? Find liquid handling solutions that enhance precision and productivity for modern research and diagnostics.
