One of the major challenges faced by scientific researchers is the extraordinary precision that is required when handling liquids in order for their results to be valid. Tasks like pipetting liquids by hand can take hours, and they are still prone to error. Luckily, it is no longer necessary for scientists to do all of this painstaking work themselves. Automation has entered the research lab, much as it has entered many other aspects of the modern world.
This short guide highlights the main benefits of automated liquid handling systems and how they are helping scientists the world over.
Enhanced precision
Pipetting by hand requires scientists to take painstaking care to ensure that they collect and dispense the exact amount of liquid they are intending to. They also have to be careful not to confuse liquids, and the work often ends up taking hours. But no matter how careful they are, errors can happen because of hand tremors, poor technique, and accidents.
The automated liquid handler is just one of several inventions that are enhancing precision in laboratories. It can drastically reduce the error rate of pipetting by ensuring that liquids are transported using the exact same technique every single time. Moreover, they are able to measure liquids with a much higher degree of accuracy.
More reproducible results
The extra precision that automated solutions can deliver is very important for scientific research, as experiments require exact amounts to be measured and recorded so that the experiment can be repeated to verify the results.
Liquid handling systems also help ensure that the exact same pipetting technique is used every time the research is performed, eliminating the possibility of erroneous results being caused by differences in the ways that researchers handle liquids. This can be especially important when very unstable liquids are being handled.
Greater efficiency
While one researcher can only perform liquid handling tasks sequentially, automated systems can perform several tasks simultaneously. This can dramatically reduce the amount of time needed for research and therefore cut costs too. Tasks which typically take hours or days when done by hand can be completed in a mere fraction of that time.
This also means that large-scale experiments which would normally require a big team in order to meet the research deadline can now be handled by smaller teams and in smaller laboratories.
Reducing contamination
Research in fields such as molecular biology and microbiology can involve scientists handling samples which can have powerful – and even dangerous – effects if they come into contact with other samples or with the researchers.
Automated liquid handling systems generally include a number of features which defend against contamination as standard. These include filters and the ability to seal the system off from the external environment entirely.
Conclusion
Automated liquid handlers are becoming popular in laboratories globally because of their impressive speed and precision. By reducing reliance on the competency of laboratory professionals, they are helping various scientific fields advance more quickly and with more confidence in their findings. Although they can be expensive, over the long-term they reduce research costs by minimising manual labour and errors.
