Automation
Figure 1: Respondent’s current view on what is small-scale benchtop automation
Automation that links multiple instruments to enable a multi-step process
Automation incorporated within a single instrument or single-step process
Automation built specifically to enable a multi-step process
Automation applied externally to a single instrument or single-step process
© HTStec 2011 13%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% % Responding
27%
30% 30%
Figure 2: Most wanted small-scale benchtop automation
Dedicated automation that is optimised to one or a few related processes or applications on a specific instrument or mini-workstation (eg Qiagen QIAcube) 24%
© HTStec 2011
Generic ‘open’ automation platform which has broad applicability to multiple processes or applications (eg Eppendorf epMotion) 76%
Figure 3: Importance of walkway automation in a small-scale benchtop system
samples through an entire process Moderate – want to process a few
Significant – want to process a batch of microplates through an entire process
Some – want some unattended processing of single steps, but still expect manual intervention
Limited – happy to feed and assist an instrument to process samples, high manual intervention
7%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Number Responding (All Respondents)
© HTStec 2011 31% 29% 34%
processing thousands of assays per day. Nor does the average lab have the budget or the space to accommodate ‘big’ automation. Many of these labs are unaware of the laboratory automation revolu- tion that is about to hit them or some do not even grasp the potential benefits of automation. Despite this there are many repetitive or demanding tasks in modern drug discovery awaiting simple auto- mated solutions, where the application of small- scale automation can offer numerous compelling advantages and make a big difference. After a phase where automation development resources appeared to be predominantly targeted at full-scale robotics, there has recently been a redeployment of effort towards simple-to-use small-scale automa- tion. This has been driven in part by some emerg- ing applications in sample prep, such as nucleic acid extraction, next-gen sequencing and qPCR setup, to the extent that the market is now begin- ning to buzz with new benchtop options. Other developments threaten to open up existing applica- tion areas to truly empowering automation, eg dose-response analysis. Sensing that small-scale benchtop automation was of interest both to ven- dors and end-users alike, HTStec undertook a sur- vey on this topic in June 2011, which set out to investigate current attitudes and future market requirements for such systems. This article con- tains selected findings from that report and high- lights many new systems that are being launched at the SLAS 2012 Conference & Exhibition to prima- rily address the needs of scientists working at the bench on small-scale low throughput applications.
Types of small-scale automation preferred
Survey respondents’ current preference on small- scale benchtop automation was almost equally divided between: automation that links multiple instruments to enable a multi-step process (30% preferring); automation incorporated within a sin- gle instrument or single-step process (30% prefer- ring); and automation built specifically to enable a multi-step process (27% preferring); with least interest in automation applied externally to a sin- gle instrument or single-step process (only 13% preferring) (Figure 1).
The majority (76%) of survey respondents want- ed to access generic ‘open’ automation platforms which have broad applicability to multiple process- es or applications. Respondents were less interest- ed (only 26% wanting) in accessing dedicated automation that is optimised to one or a few relat- ed processes or applications on a specific instru- ment or mini-workstation (Figure 2).
28 Drug Discovery World Winter 2011/12
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