How to stay flexible when automating a lab

There is a growing demand to automate a wider range of diverse and discrete processes, rather than solely focusing on increasing throughput in labs. This is particularly the case with CROs and CDMOs.

Adopting automation solutions without considering the right approach to flexibility can hinder growth and diminish competitive advantage. As customers' needs evolve beyond the lab's capabilities, it could directly impact revenue.

This article explores why flexibility should be a key consideration when choosing lab automation solutions.

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Experimental needs

If widespread adoption is to be achieved, automation systems must be able to quickly adapt to different sample types, protocols, and experimental conditions.

Incorporating the ability to perform innovative experimentation within the automation process allows experiments to be designed without the limitations imposed by technology.

This approach should also extend to data management, enabling metadata and schemas to be easily adapted based on the specific experiment or data requirements, rather than being constrained by the automation system in place.

External changes

Updated lab processes will need to reflect external changes such as industry standards, regulatory requirements, and the introduction of new methodologies and technologies.

Automation systems need to be able to facilitate necessary adjustments to align with such changes, maintaining the appropriate compliances and best practices in as straightforward a manner as possible.

Multi-user environments

A significant barrier to successful adoption is usability, especially concerning software. The steep learning curves of traditional lab automation solutions can make them challenging to use, and this issue is even more pronounced in environments where users frequently change or rotate.

Employing a flexible approach to the automation process will enhance collaboration and the efficient use of shared resources. The automation process should also be easy for labs to implement at any stage of adoption, whether or not they have in-house automation experts.

Scalability

Scalability is often the prime motivation when labs consider automation. Any potential solution should be flexible enough to scale up or down, depending on the needs of new or existing clients.

Automation solutions should not be procured in response to specific client demands or projects, as there is a risk that they will not be used subsequently. Scalability should be at a lab level, not a project level, to future-proof investment.

Resource optimization

Lab automation can be regarded as a resource on its own, but it can also support the allocation and optimization of other resources such as consumables, reagents, and personnel.

In combination with the correct software solution, automation can also facilitate efficiencies in task scheduling and coordination, reduce waste, and positively impact the laboratory’s overall productivity.

Acknowledgments

Produced from materials originally authored by Automata Technologies Ltd.

About Automata

Born from a world-leading research lab, Automata is making total workflow automation accessible to labs frustrated by the limitations of their own environment.

Accelerating the innovation evolution

When two architects from Zaha Hadid’s research lab first approached robotics, their idea was to explore applications specific to architectural engineering.

But they soon discovered that modern automation wasn’t just unnecessarily complex – it was actively restricting innovation. And not just within their industry – within many others too. It was clear that robotic automation was a field where their combined experience in computational research and design could make a real difference. Assembling a team of industry experts, Automata was founded, with a clear aim: to enable new opportunities for innovation with automation.

A clearer path to progress

Automata’s focus narrowed on an industry where they felt their expertise could have the most impact – life sciences, and particularly within biolab environments.

Since then, the team has been working closely with leading pathology labs to pioneer protocols that enable labs to scale with precision

Automata Labs is the product of that philosophy – simplifying lab environments and empowering the people working tirelessly in the pursuit of progress.

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