Life science research is going high-throughput, and there is no turning back.   Sequencing, cell culture, hybridization assays, and cell screening — to name a few — are all moving toward generating more data in less time, which requires automation. For smaller labs, the concept of automating routine tasks at the research bench is an attractive possibility. However, it may seem out of reach due to a variety of factors, including cost, space, and training requirements. Fortunately, automation technologies have advanced a great deal in the last decade, making high-value, entry-level automate ..read more

pH is a logarithmic measurement of the acid or base levels in a substance. It stands for “potential of hydrogen” or “power of hydrogen.” The more hydrogen ions are present in a substance, the lower the pH. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 being a very acidic substance and 14 being a very alkaline substance.pH testing equipment varies from simple paper strips to digital pH meters. Paper strips change color according to the pH of the substance, but the precision of paper strips in measuring pH is low. Digital pH meters measure the voltage of a solution and determine the concentration of ..read more

Synthetic biology, also known as syn-bio, has emerged as a groundbreaking field that combines biology, engineering, and computer science to create and improve organisms for various applications. The ability to engineer microorganisms with enhanced productivity has paved the way for accelerated bioproduction, leading to advancements in biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals. However, selecting and isolating desired colonies from a cluster of different colonies on agar plates has traditionally been a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. The advent of automated robots has revolut ..read more

There are many advantages and benefits of robotic automation, and automation itself has revolutionized and streamlined microbiology. The benefits are many: robotic automation is cost-effective in many ways by saving manpower and time. Automation also reduces the risk of human error and is rarely inaccurate. Lab technicians and researchers can use their skills elsewhere in the lab while technologies such as PlateCrane robotics run the show. The PlateCrane EX is a microplate handler, an essential tool in any microbiology laboratory. A standalone microplate handler has many uses; however, PlateCr ..read more

Underneath the umbrella of synthetic biology (coined syn-bio) are many subfields of emerging discoveries in the scientific community. Syn-bio has many applications, from industrial to pharmaceutical, and the role of synthetic biology in medicine is an important one. An excellent description of what synthetic biology is included in a May 2023 research article: “Synthetic biology aims to design or assemble existing bioparts or bio-components for useful bioproperties.” From constructing genetic circuits for tumor targeting to treating infectious diseases, synthetic biology in medicine is a rapid ..read more

Colony picking is the most important aspect of identifying microorganisms for many applications. Used mainly to identify different bacteria, colonies are isolated for future analysis and duplication. The technology behind colony picking and colony picking itself is the cornerstone of any microbiology laboratory.Before automated colony picking robots, colony picking was a tedious task performed by hand, which not only used valuable labor but offered more opportunities for inaccuracy. A single technician can operate an automated colony picker, and the improved accuracy is one of the key benefit ..read more

October 16, 2023, Springfield, NJHudson Robotics, leaders in lab automation systems, is pleased to announce that we have been included in the Top 10 Laboratory Automation Solutions Providers for 2023 by Pharma Tech Outlook. Pharma Tech Outlook has chosen ten outstanding companies dedicated to automation solutions that have, “bolstered the reproducibility and reliability of experiments, eliminating the potential for variability introduced by human operators.” Andrew, Witschi, CEO of Hudson Robotics, says, “We are honored to be among the ten exceptional companies recognized. With our 40-year hi ..read more

The process of colony picking involves selecting a colony of single-strain, pure microbes so they can be duplicated later. Colony picking is used in a vast amount of applications, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), mass spectrometry, protein purification, and others. Decades ago, all colony picking was performed by hand, which could be time-consuming and difficult for lab technicians. However, with advances in laboratory automation, automated colony picking minimizes manual labor, is more efficient, and most machines can process thousands of samples per hour. Also, colony-picking robot ..read more

A pH meter is used to measure the alkalinity or acidity of a substance, usually a solution. The pH scale itself is numbered from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most basic (alkaline). The principle of a pH meter, or any pH reading, is measuring the hydrogen ion concentration, typically in a water-based solution.Decades ago, researchers would use pH test strips to measure pH, but they are not always accurate. Because knowing the pH of a solution is imperative, pH meters were created so that readings could be more accurate. Today, there are different types of pH meters des ..read more

Flow cytometry has several uses but is prominent in clinical diagnostics. It is a laboratory test that analyzes the characteristics of particles or cells, and it can analyze and process up to 10,000 cells in less than one minute—one of the amazing outcomes of laboratory automation. In general, flow cytometry in clinical diagnostics involves placing the cells in fluid and injecting them into a flow cytometry machine. The test has helped revolutionize disease and detection because of how many articles it can process simultaneously.Read on to learn more about flow cytometry in clinical diagnosti ..read more