Biomolecular

Sample preparation is the process of preparing biological, chemical, or research materials for analysis and testing. In life science laboratories, sample preparation encompasses a wide range of routine yet critical tasks. These cover pipetting liquids, mixing samples and reagents, aliquoting samples into smaller volumes, performing dilutions, adding reaction components, and transferring liquids between plates, tubes, or other labware. Depending on the application, it may also involve normalization, purification, bead clean-up, or library preparation workflows.

Sample preparation serves as the bridge between collecting a sample and generating meaningful data by ensuring that materials are handled and processed in a standardized way. Although these tasks are fundamental to many experimental protocols, they can be labor-intensive when performed manually, and are highly sensitive to human error. Even small variations in technique or volume transfer can introduce inconsistencies that affect downstream analysis.

Because sample preparation directly influences the quality of experimental data, laboratories must place a strong emphasis on the execution, accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility throughout the process for reliable results. As sample volumes increase and workflows become more complex, many labs are adopting automation to help standardize these tasks, reducing the manual effort required and improving overall workflow reliability.

The quality of sample preparation has a direct impact on the data that follows. No matter how advanced, results can only be as reliable as the samples used to generate them.

Even small inconsistencies during manual sample preparation can negatively influence experimental outcomes. Variations in pipetting volumes, reagent addition, mixing efficiency, or sample transfer can introduce errors that affect data accuracy and make results more difficult to reproduce.

Accurate sample preparation reduces variability between experiments and is essential for reproducibility, allowing researchers to generate reliable data across different runs, operators, and laboratories.

Sample preparation also plays a key role in maintaining sample integrity and reducing contamination risk. Repeated manual handling can introduce cross-contamination or sample mix-ups, which can compromise downstream analysis and lead to costly repeat work.

Ultimately, effective sample preparation supports the accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability of experimental data while helping laboratories operate more efficiently and with greater confidence.

As sample numbers increase and protocols become more complex, manual sample preparation processes can place growing pressure on researchers and laboratory teams.

One of the most common challenges is the repetitive nature of sample preparation. Labs can perform hundreds of steps involving pipetting, mixing, aliquoting, reagent addition, dilution, and plate transfers every day. While each step may be straightforward on its own, the cumulative effort can be time-consuming and physically demanding.

Manual handling can also introduce variation. Differences in pipetting technique, timing, mixing consistency, or workflow interpretation can affect results, particularly when multiple operators are involved.

Fatigue from long or repetitive workflows can increase the likelihood of mistakes, especially when teams are working under time pressure or managing several tasks at once. Errors such as incorrect volumes, missed wells, sample mix-ups, or inconsistent reagent addition can be difficult to identify until later in the workflow.

As throughput requirements grow, laboratories may have to process more samples but not have the time or the staff to do it. Manual sample preparation can also make it difficult to maintain the same level of accuracy and traceability across larger workloads.

These challenges do not detract from the effectiveness of manual sample preparation. Instead, they highlight why so many laboratories are seeking automated sample preparation as a way to reduce repetitive handling while enabling consistency and ensuring sample preparation is easier to scale.

Automated sample preparation uses technology to perform repetitive or high-precision sample handling tasks, such as pipetting, the addition of reagents, dilution, normalization, mixing, aliquoting, and transferring between plates and tubes with less manual intervention. Rather than requiring researchers to do each step by hand, automated systems perform these routine processes in a standardized way which is much more efficient.

Automated liquid handling systems are also designed to perform the precise pipetting and sample transfer steps that are fundamental in many laboratory workflows and essential for generating reliable results.

For example, the Myra liquid handling system can automate complex protocols while maintaining consistent volume transfers and workflow execution across large numbers of samples. This reduces the manual workload of laboratory staff while ensuring that sample preparation is carried out to the same standard every time.

As laboratories process more samples and implement more complex workflows, automated liquid handling for sample preparation has become a viable means of improving throughput and enabling reproducibility.

Life science laboratories frequently use liquid handling systems for a range of applications. Automated liquid handling systems standardize routine steps by performing liquid transfers according to predefined protocols. This provides less variation between runs and operators, increasing the efficiency and reproducibility of the workflow. The benefits are more apparent in complex or high-throughput workflows requiring hundreds or thousands of liquid handling steps. By combining precision pipetting with repeatable workflow execution, automated liquid handling systems help laboratories improve data quality, increase productivity, and create more reliable sample preparation processes regardless of workload or throughput requirements.

Myra is designed to automate many of the core liquid handling tasks in sample prep workflows. Myra allows labs to perform critical steps like assay setup, PCR preparation, sample normalization, reagent dispensing, serial dilutions, pooling, and NGS library preparation more accurately and efficiently. Smart workflow automation combined with precise pipetting reduces the manual work involved in repetitive sample handling, freeing up researchers so they spend less time on routine tasks and more time on scientific discovery.

Liquid handling is a fundamental part of many laboratory workflows, supporting everything from sample preparation and assay setup to PCR preparation, reagent dispensing, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). However, these processes often involve repetitive liquid transfer steps that can be time-consuming and difficult to scale when performed manually.

As laboratories face increasing pressure to improve efficiency while maintaining accuracy and reproducibility, many are turning to automated liquid handling systems. By automating routine pipetting and sample transfer tasks, laboratories can reduce manual workload and streamline day-to-day operations.

In this guide, we will cover the benefits of automated liquid handling in a laboratory and what you need to know before setting up an automated liquid handler.

Related Article: What is Laboratory Automation

Automated liquid handling uses robotic technology to perform liquid-transfer tasks that researchers and lab technicians would otherwise carry out by hand.

These systems use programmed workflows to transfer precise volumes of liquids between tubes, plates, and other labware, helping to reduce variability and improve consistency across experiments. Depending on the application, automated liquid handling can support simple sample transfers as well as complex, multi-step workflows involving hundreds or thousands of individual liquid handling steps. Defined protocols enable them to carry out liquid transfer steps on multiple samples consistently and minimize the variability that might arise from manual handling.

By automating repetitive liquid handling tasks, laboratories can improve workflow and reduce manual workload while ensuring that samples and reagents are handled accurately every time. This makes automated liquid handling a valuable tool for laboratories looking to increase productivity.

An automated liquid handler is a machine designed to accurately and consistently perform liquid handling tasks with minimal manual intervention. These systems automate routine processes such as pipetting, dispensing, mixing, aliquoting, reaction preparation, and transferring liquids between tubes, dishes, and plates, helping laboratories improve efficiency across workflows.

By following predefined protocols, automated liquid handlers can perform liquid transfer steps consistently across multiple samples, reducing the variability that might otherwise occur with manual handling.

These systems are available in a variety of sizes and configurations to suit different laboratory requirements. A compact benchtop automated liquid handler is designed for smaller laboratories or specific workflows, while a high-throughput platform is capable of processing large sample volumes and supporting more complex applications.

In many laboratories, there is a growing interest in automated liquid handling because of the challenges associated with performing repetitive liquid handling tasks manually. While liquid handling activities are essential to day-to-day laboratory operations, they can also be time-consuming and difficult to scale as workloads increase. As sample volumes grow and protocols become more complex, laboratory staff may spend a significant amount of time performing routine manual pipetting and liquid handling. This can limit productivity and reduce the time available for other important tasks.

Laboratories also use automation to improve consistency. Even highly skilled researchers can introduce small variations when performing repetitive tasks, particularly across a large number of samples. Automated liquid handling systems can help standardize processes, ensuring that liquid transfers are performed consistently from run to run and between different operators.

Increasing sample throughput is another consideration. As demand grows, laboratories need to process more samples without proportionally increasing staffing levels or working hours. Automation helps support this growth by enabling reliable, repeatable workflows that can operate efficiently at larger scales.