The automation boom in life sciences is transforming how research is done, especially in liquid handling tasks. As labs face growing demands for speed, accuracy, and scalability, liquid handling automation systems are becoming essential tools. From next-generation sequencing (NGS) prep to high-throughput screening, these systems improve precision, reduce errors, and save time. Choosing the right equipment means aligning technological capabilities with your lab’s goals and scale.
Whether you're running a small lab or a large core facility, automation can streamline workflows and boost data quality. This article explores how choosing the right liquid handling automation system can bring you the benefits of modern technology without sacrificing data quality, lab space, or your budget.
Liquid handler automation provides significant benefits across different levels of lab operations, from data quality to sustainability.
Manual NGS library prep involves labor-intensive pipetting for fragmentation, ligation, PCR, and cleanup steps, increasing the risk of human error, contamination, and variability. These time-consuming and inconsistent processes lead to potential amplification bias and unreliable results3. In contrast, automated systems like DISPENDIX’s I.DOT and G.PURE streamline NGS workflows (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. The G.PREP bundle from DISPENDIX includes the I.DOT and G.PURE instruments, offering a robust solution for automating NGS workflows.
Automation ensures precise reagent handling, standardized thermocycling, efficient cleanup, and accurate normalization. This results in higher throughput, reduced error rates, improved reproducibility, and significant time and cost savings. Overall, automated NGS library prep enhances workflow efficiency, data quality, and scalability for modern genomic research.
With technology moving so quickly these days, it can be challenging to identify the latest trends in the market and understand how other labs are gaining an advantage. Let’s look at some recent advances shaping the field of automated liquid handling.
Contactless liquid handling uses acoustic waves or air pressure to dispense liquids without using pipette tips, reducing cross-contamination and consumable costs. These methods offer high accuracy and precision, even at low volumes, while volume verification ensures consistent and reliable dispensing4.
Reaction miniaturization reduces assay volumes while maintaining accuracy, offering cost-saving benefits by increasing the number of experiments labs can run on the same reagent budget. Lab automation enables this process and is used in lab-on-a-chip technologies and microfluidics for diagnostics and single-cell analysis, offering efficient, low-cost solutions for advanced research and point-of-care testing5,6.
Cloud-based lab automation for liquid handling enables remote control of lab operations, enhancing flexibility and accessibility. Significant advances in this area were made during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it works by integrating cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time experiment control7.
Sustainability is a growing concern in labs, especially due to plastic waste from single-use items like pipette tips. An advanced liquid handling automation system reduces plastic waste and excessive use of reagents, offering cost savings while enhancing lab sustainability8.
Read our dedicated article to explore these trends in more detail.
Many laboratories are turning to benchtop automation as an essential tool for modern research. This technology offers several key benefits, enabling researchers to achieve high data accuracy and faster results while staying within budget.
Benchtop liquid handlers are now accessible to labs of all sizes thanks to compact, user-friendly designs like the I.DOT. These systems fit easily into existing lab setups, simplifying workflow integration without disrupting lab layouts. The I.DOT offers broad capabilities with an intuitive interface, reducing the need for extensive training. This allows researchers to quickly adopt the technology, freeing experienced staff from repetitive training duties and enabling them to focus on their research.
Benchtop automation makes the most of lab space, time, and resources by enabling flexible scaling. Devices like the I.DOT from DISPENDIX offer precise dispensing across various plate formats, from 96- to 1536-well plates, supporting efficient workflow scaling without sacrificing quality or requiring the purchase of additional instruments (Fig. 2). This allows labs to boost throughput and tackle more complex protocols like high-throughput screening and advanced assay development with ease and efficiency.
Figure 2. The I.DOT liquid handler facilitates dispensing from 96 or 384 sources into 1536-well plates to support research scaling no matter the complexity.
Read our dedicated article to understand all five reasons why benchtop liquid handling automation is revolutionizing modern labs.
Selecting the right liquid handling automation system is crucial for improving lab efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. You can enhance throughput, reduce errors, and improve reproducibility by aligning your lab's needs with the right automation tools. Whether you're optimizing NGS workflows or embracing new trends in sustainability and miniaturization, selecting the right tool is key.
Download the I.DOT brochure or the G.PREP brochure, and take the next step in transforming your workflows!