Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Automated Robotic Liquid Handling Assembly of Modular DNA Devices
Published on: December 1, 2017
To automate or not to automate: this is the question
M Cymborowski1, M Klimecka, M Chruszcz
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22908, USA.
Abstract:
New protocols and instrumentation significantly boost the outcome of structural biology, which has resulted in significant growth in the number of deposited Protein Data Bank structures. However, even an enormous increase of the productivity of a single step of the structure determination process may not significantly shorten the time between clone and deposition or publication. For example, in a medium size laboratory equipped with the LabDB and HKL-3000 systems, we show that automation of some (and integration of all) steps of the X-ray structure determination pathway is critical for laboratory productivity. Moreover, we show that the lag period after which the impact of a technology change is observed is longer than expected.
Related Concept Videos
Distribution Reliability and Automation
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior
Open and closed-loop control systems
An open-loop control system operates without feedback from the output. It consists of two primary elements: the controller and the controlled process. The controller receives an input signal and...
Decision Making
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Control Systems: Applications
In modern vehicles, control systems manage various functions to enhance performance and safety. The steering wheel and accelerator are primary inputs in a car's control system. The direction...
Control Systems
At the heart...

