A Beginner’s Guide to Automated Liquid Handling

What is automated liquid handling?

Automated liquid handling is the process of transferring liquid from one place to another with a pipetting robot as opposed to performing pipetting manually.

While manual pipetting might seem like a simple task, it is time-consuming, strenuous, and it can be difficult to reach a high accuracy when working with very low volumes.

On top of that, there is an increased risk of contamination when handling samples manually.

Those are some of the main reasons why labs of all sizes are beginning to automate.

Who needs automated liquid handling?

Traditionally, automation has been used mainly in large high-throughput labs.

But in this day and age, lab automation is inclusive and encompasses labs of all sizes in the pursuit of scientific excellence.

As the fast-paced scientific advancements of today’s society drive labs to become more efficient and more agile, they will turn to automation to advance their performance.

Smaller and mid-sized labs can especially benefit from increased efficiency, enhanced accuracy, cost- and time savings. The ability to be highly scalable cannot be underestimated, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that way, automation is not about replacing people but rather about giving people the tools that they need to perform at their highest level.

How should you automate?

There are different stages of automation. Most labs start with a single instrument and scale up along the way.

Simple automation could be a standalone liquid handler that can handle your pipetting for you. While it requires you to place the components on the deck yourself, the liquid transfer is otherwise completely automated. There will also often be the option of integrating a robot arm to move the plates on and off the liquid handler.

This is a popular choice in small to mid-sized labs as they are much more flexible and user-friendly than the fully automated workstations.

On the other side of the fence, you’ll find the fully automated workstation. They can perform end-to-end automation by moving components to and from the different instruments with grippers and robot arms.

This will give you much less hands-on time and is a great solution in large labs that handle a huge number of samples in a protocol that never changes. However, as opposed to stand-alone instruments, they are complex, expensive, and often not adjustable by the user.

How do you get started?

Begin by thoroughly understanding the principles of automated liquid handling and identifying the liquid handling needs in your lab.

Once you have an idea of how automation can fit into your workflow, you can start looking at the types of liquid handlers that meet those needs.

This is where demos come into play. Most companies, like us, will offer free demos so you can get clear on the best solution for your specific lab.

In our experience, opting for a simpler solution before advancing to more complex processes are a surefire way to get a smooth take-off and leave no one behind.

The next step will most likely be to create your protocol and implement it in the lab. This might seem like a big fish to fry, but companies like Flow Robotics are here to help you with all of that. This goes for training your staff as well.

All in all, implementing automation can be a simple shift and you do not need to be the expert. While robots might seem like a big change, they will ultimately make your life super easy.