Making Lab Automation More Accessible

Automation can help address many of the challenges that pharmaceutical research and development labs face every day. For example, conducting scientific experiments can be very operator intensive. At the bench, scientists may use pipettes, weigh samples, and prepare solutions for hours on end.

But by introducing robotics, these repetitive, time-intensive tasks can be automated so that scientists can devote more time to high-impact activities and strategic problem-solving. When combined with digital solutions that enhance connectivity, labs can accelerate research cycles and increase throughput without adding to the headcount.

In addition to productivity, the need for high-quality data is driving further adoption of automated, digital labs. Automation is a fantastic way to get the data that scientists need, at volume, to power next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), build large language models, or implement digital twins.

We saw the need for high-quality data at scale unfold in real time during the COVID-19 pandemic, when speed and capacity became one of the industry's top priorities, and it drove a significant increase in robotics and automation.

As adoption increases, labs can reap the benefits of greater scalability, flexibility, and consistency with data that not only ensures reproducible results but also strengthens regulatory compliance.

By choosing a trusted provider whose solutions are built with compliance at the forefront, labs can be confident that their systems will support evolving regulatory demands. Over time, automation will allow labs to optimize workflows, save on costs, and help make advanced research more accessible. 

Despite its clear advantages, there are several barriers to adoption that we see today. First and foremost, automated systems can be perceived as complex or intimidating, especially for scientists who are accustomed to manual workflows.

But the way that people interact with automated, digital systems is often really user-friendly. The software that connects scientists with the hardware is critically important, as it can help make the human experience of adopting automation much more approachable.

The initial investment required for equipment, integration, and training can also give pharmaceutical and lab leaders pause and may, unintentionally, slow adoption. But there is a strong business case for building an automated, digital lab, and it’s not just about long-term value. With automation and digital connectivity, labs will often see immediate efficiency gains, increased productivity, and reduced error rates. 

At Thermo Fisher, we’re committed to democratizing scientific research, and a big part of that – especially for smaller labs – is enabling seamless automation adoption.

We know that the human experience aspect of this transition is hugely important, so we’re focused on providing solutions that allow scientists to do more science. That means designing intuitive, user-friendly systems that lower the technical barrier for scientists at every experience level and creating modular, scalable solutions for labs that have highly specific needs.

For labs that have existing manual workflows, introducing autonomous mobile robots can help optimize workflows and make experiments more efficient. We’re uniquely positioned to support labs at any stage of adoption, given the breadth of our portfolio and expertise across the entire ecosystem of integration.

At Thermo Fisher, we’re actively driving the industry’s shift toward automated, digital labs through purpose-built solutions and collaborative partnerships, which are at the core of our approach.

Our entire team diligently works on co-creating solutions for our customers that can be integrated seamlessly into existing lab environments. With our comprehensive support, from project management to deployment, labs can confidently trust that their transition to automation will see minimal disruption.

Advancing from collaborative robotics to a fully automated, digital lab will unlock entirely new levels of lab performance, enabling science to move faster, smarter, and further.

While we've seen scientists program robots to run repetitive tasks so that they can simultaneously focus on higher value work, automated digital labs will be able to integrate AI-driven experimental design, automated execution, and real-time data analysis, creating a closed-loop environment for continuous optimization with minimal human intervention.

This is what leading companies are thinking about today. If scientists can delegate entire workflows to robots, they can focus on strategic planning and data interpretation – asking not just what happened in their experiment, but what can be made possible. Then, by standardizing and scaling these processes, organizations can ensure reproducibility and quality across projects and locations.

Early adopters of autonomous systems will be uniquely positioned to leverage next-generation capabilities in the near future. It’s really a fascinating evolution in the industry, and it’s a shift that maximizes time spent driving scientific innovation.

When I think about the future of lab automation, there are a few key elements that stand out, but it starts and ends with scientists.

The scientist’s role is evolving from manual operator to strategic innovator, and we need to ready our scientists to embrace the way scientific work is fundamentally changing.

Companies – from large pharmaceutical companies to smaller biotechs – are thinking about how they can bring the scientific experience into the modern era. And it’s changing faster than ever before. Empowering digital literacy and encouraging adaptability are essential because digital technologies are becoming integral to daily workflows.

Success hinges on continuous learning, but with automation, scientists will increasingly be able to focus on experimental design, complex data interpretation, and the application of advanced analytics. Collaborating with robotics will become routine, enabling both productivity gains and enhanced creativity.

At its core, an automated digital lab is an enabler of innovation and accelerated scientific discovery. As a provider offering robust, end-to-end capabilities, from instrumentation and software to services and support, we know that with these tools the industry will move forward faster – and with a greater impact – than ever before.