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Automation in the Life Science Research Laboratory
1Deanery of Biomedical Science and Synthsys Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
|December 7, 2020
Summary
Academic life science labs face an automation gap due to funding and protocol variability. Automation offers benefits like reproducibility but requires flexible, affordable designs and interdisciplinary skills for future research.
Area of Science:
- Life Science Research
- Laboratory Automation
- Scientific Innovation
Background:
- Academic life science laboratories predominantly rely on manual processes, unlike industrial or clinical settings.
- A significant 'automation gap' exists in academia, stemming from funding constraints, protocol diversity, and a focus on personnel over equipment.
- Despite limitations, automation offers substantial advantages in reproducibility, efficiency, clinical translation, and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the factors contributing to the limited adoption of automation in academic life science research.
- To explore the benefits and drawbacks of implementing automation in research laboratories.
- To propose requirements for future automation solutions tailored to academic environments.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of the 'automation gap' in academic life science.
- Review of benefits (reproducibility, efficiency, safety) and limitations (obsolescence, innovation inhibition) of laboratory automation.
- Discussion of design considerations for future automation (flexibility, modularity, cost-effectiveness, environmental awareness).
Main Results:
- Key barriers to automation in academia include short-term funding, protocol variability, and investment in people over equipment.
- Automation enhances reproducibility, researcher efficiency, clinical translation, and safety.
- Limitations include potential obsolescence and stifled innovation; ideal solutions are flexible, modular, and cost-effective.
Conclusions:
- Bridging the automation gap requires developing adaptable, affordable automation solutions suitable for resource-constrained academic labs.
- Future success in laboratory automation necessitates scientists with combined engineering and biology expertise.
- Automation is poised to become integral to future research, driving innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration.
