LIMS & Lab Automation


Redefi ning the modern lab: How LIMS and automation are shaping the digital laboratory ecosystem


Priyodarshi Sengupta, LabVantage Solutions


With the explosion of data, the modern laboratory has become a hub for automation to solve complexities of unprecedented scale. From pharma manufacturing to Biotech R&D, oil and gas to environmental labs, the food and beverage industries operate in an ever-evolving manner. A few decades back, most labs predominantly operated under a largely manual environment and workfl ow. Teams would often rely on raw data sourced through notebooks or spreadsheets and depend on isolated instruments, making innovation not only cumbersome but also error prone. Soon, laboratories realised it was no longer about performing and reporting experiments only, but about transforming data into decisions and decisions into discoveries. Science evolves through the collection of quality and reproducible data. With the advent of a highly digital ecosystem where information management systems and automation technologies took precedence, every stage of research and development (R&D) underwent a massive transformation [1,2].


From sample tracking to semantic intelligence: the new era of an intelligent LIMS


The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) has transformed the way many laboratories operate by facilitating integration with advanced automation tools [1]. LIMS is not just an average software for tracking samples; it is more than that. It provides the digital backbone essential for connecting the dots between data, workfl ows, and experiments, while also supporting enhanced collaboration. It can achieve real-time insights, provide agility, and most importantly, reproducibility.


Then the evolution of SaaS occurred. The fi rst wave of SaaS ushered in a revolutionary step for many laboratories, as on-premises systems gave way to new, cloud-based LIMS platforms that offered low maintenance, affordability, and greater fl exibility. Labs are no longer required to work with disconnected teams or legacy systems, as they have started to rely on fast, reliable processes and scalable data. However, traditional SaaS was not without its challenges, paving the way for SaaS 2.0 and, similarly, the emergence of agentic AI, shifting the paradigm from a simple data analysis workfl ow to a more contextualised, semantic, and insight-driven approach [3, 4].


Applications of LIMS and lab automation


LIMS and automation now encompass nearly every facet of laboratory operations. Each application enhances essential laboratory features, increasing effi ciency, accelerating breakthroughs, and ensuring scientifi c accuracy. From intelligent data contextualisation and sample management to workfl ow integration and compliance, these tools drive reproducible, traceable, and regulatory-ready science [2,3].


LIMS in analytics and data contextualisation


We live in a world where data gathering is no longer enough for scientifi c breakthroughs. Real breakthroughs happen when we can talk with our data and understand what the results truly mean. In other words, your data must connect with your fi ndings across all your experiments, integrating specifi c tests with experimental outcomes and aligning your discoveries. By utilising better lab management tools, researchers can easily track the complete story of their experiments and conduct more in-depth analysis. For example, an intelligent laboratory informatics platform equipped with automation and AI can select and pinpoint the correct antibody based on its specifi c binding properties or correlate new genetic information with test results, turning raw data into real discovery.


Sample management and tracking


Managing and tracking thousands of biological, chemical, or environmental samples manually within a strict timeframe is impossible and highly prone to manual errors. LIMS play a signifi cant role in challenging circumstances where both precision and timeline are essential. LIMS automates sample registration, barcoding, and storage tracking, with each specimen uniquely identifi able and traceable throughout its lifecycle. Automation further reduces mix-ups, prevents loss of samples, adheres to good industry and compliance practices for regulated environments, and most importantly, reduces the time from lab to market.


Enhanced workfl ow and instrument integration


Modern laboratories rarely operate linearly and depend on a wide range of instruments, including chromatographs, microscopes, and spectrometers. A single experiment will require and involve multiple simple and complex instruments, protocols, and researchers across different sites. Automation, combined with LIMS, provides a central platform for collaboration among various research teams. It facilitates the seamless integration of instruments and the data generated, thereby enabling the transfer and validation of scientifi c data. It accelerates reporting, helps prevent deviations and transcription errors, and fl ags missing steps. Workfl ows get standardised, documented, and start to follow Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles.


Simplifi es regulatory compliance, traceability, and quality control


The life science industry, along with the oil and gas and food and beverage industries, faces stringent and complex regulatory requirements from local and international standards, including FDA 21 CFR Part 11, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and GxPs. LIMS automates audit trails, version control, and electronic signatures while adhering to the standard operating procedures and the local and international regulations. Together, they create a verifi able record of compliance that reduces regulatory risk. Reproducibility and traceability are at the heart of any regulated laboratory environment. Using AI agents in verifi ed data ontologies, every decision, result, and workfl ow step can be fully traced back to its origin. Additionally, lab-specifi c AI agents provide proven data pedigrees to support essential insights that can ensure compliance readiness, even in an era of evolving regulations.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64