Jumping into the 20th century before it istoo late: is laboratory robotics still in itsinfancy?

摘要

Successful management of laboratory robotic automation programmesin the environment of research and drug discovery withinthe pharmaceutical industry may perhaps be best compared to a chefpreparing the perfect hollandaise sauce. All the ingredients must beavailable at the same time and be of highest quality for the rightprice. However, if components are not added in the right quantitiesand in the proper order, no amount of whipping together by theproduct champion will create the best product. In the past,managerial scepticism surrounding useful implementation of cost-effective,high-throughput robotic systems often placed these‘modern toys’ at low priorities for research development laboratories.Management now recognizes the unique contributions ofrobotics in the research environment. Although the scientific directormust still play the role of product champion, new questions arebeing proposed and new commitments are being made to bring thepotential of robotic automation to every laboratory where repetitivefunctions can benefit from new applications. Research laboratorydirectors have become both the key ingredient, as well as the rate-limitingdeterminant in the development of new applications.Having fulfilled the promise of robotic automation to releasetalented personnel, the challenge now is for the ‘end users’, the benchscientists, to be provided with opportunities to invest the time andeffort required for future applications and new career functions.