Efficiency and precision are crucial for reducing waste and minimizing the environmental effects of scientific research. Among the key players in achieving these goals are liquid handling robots. They are quite efficient in creating a more sustainable and cost-effective research environment. The following will demonstrate how an automated liquid handler can reduce waste in research laboratories.
Reducing reagent waste
The inaccurate dispensing of reagents can cause waste in research laboratories during experiments. In fact, the small measurement errors can accumulate over time, even by skilled technicians. This results in a significant amount of reagent waste. This can be handled with high-precision pipetting, such as the advanced pipetting systems of liquid handling robots. Similarly, vendors don’t need to maintain invoices manually. Now, they can get equipped with vendor invoice software. This will help them access different invoices without fearing misplacing them.
Using automated protocols
Software utilized in liquid handling robotics are able to optimize protocols in making liquid transfers and sample preparations. This can be done by reducing the amount of reagents needed with each experiment through automating serial dilutions. On the other hand, the use of low-volume assay setup can also reduce the overall consumption of reagents.Â
Handling samples accurately
Handling biological samples is vital in research, particularly when dealing with precious or limited samples. Liquid handling robots can help in reducing sample ways through efficient sample processing wherein robots can handle multiple samples at once with high accuracy.
Robots can also operate using very small sample volumes in a very accurate detail. This is essential in valuable fields, including genomics because DNA or RNA quantities can be limited. As a result, researchers will be able to extract and analyze genetic material without wasting samples.
Minimizing failed experiments
The problem with manual handling is that it can be prone to errors. Thus, it can be a cause for failure in conducting experiments that require repetition. This can be addressed with automated error detection to avoid disrupting experiments that lead to wasted reagents or samples.
The ability of robots to replicate the same process on a precise scale across different experiments will ensure that data is consistent and reliable. This will also make sure that doing additional validation runs will not be necessary.
Optimizing consumable usage
Note that plastic waste is what laboratories produce in huge amounts. Using a robotic liquid handler will be able to reduce this type of waste by optimizing the use of pipettes and efficient use of microplates. This is made possible with programmable robots to make the best use of microplate wells and to ensure that all available space is utilized for assays without unnecessary waste.
Smarter resource management
The capacity of liquid handling robots is enhanced because of its integration with data management systems. This is what researchers are using to track reagent utilization and monitor inventory in real-time. The reduction of waste can be addressed by inventory monitoring and management.
Robots can also record the right amounts of reagents utilized and processes done. In the end, it can reduce the risk of errors in record-keeping to ensure that every batch of reagents is used efficiently. Thus, it can help in replicating successful experiments without having to waste resources on trial-and-error adjustments.
