What Role does Automation Play in Microbiology?

Automation is a growing trend in all fields of scientific study. This article will look at how automation is used more in microbiology and how it assists current laboratory-based research.

Fremont, CA: For decades, laboratories have employed automation, and any usage of machinery in the laboratory may be called automation. Automation is the transition from manual to machine labor. The centrifuge is a good example of laboratory automation that has been in use for many years.

Recently, there has been an increase in demand for procedures that automate the whole workflow process. For example, there has been extensive study into the development of automated devices that give blood culture analysis, continually monitor culture growth, or determine the least inhibitory concentration.

The two main components of laboratory automation are hardware and process. These two ideas get inextricably intertwined since altering the process to achieve automation potentials aids in realizing hardware automation potential. Automation requires a well-structured and adaptable hardware control system.

Importance of Automation In Microbiology

Microbiology laboratories are rapidly changing, with various shifts posing obstacles for researchers. In addition, studies' complexity and accompanying costs are rising, 

with stakeholders such as commercial payers and governments putting pressure on clinical researchers. These constraints and obstacles are making consolidation and centralized facilities more necessary. Among the current aims of microbiology are cost reduction, faster turnaround, and increased testing efficiency.

Microbiology investigations benefit significantly from comprehensive automation of the entire testing procedure. It aids in the efficiency of investigations as well as the safety of researchers. The current topic of debate among microbiologists is attaining "complete lab automation," which is automating all phases in the diagnostic workflow from injection to final findings.

Workflow is a multi-step procedure with numerous components. In microbiological research investigations, an ideal laboratory automation system should be able to handle various agar plates, broths, slides, and specimen containers, for example. Inoculated samples must get delivered to labs, and culture results must be examined and reported. Finally, follow-up work must get initiated if necessary. Ideally, the registration of specimens as they reach the lab, as well as the preparation of reports, should be automated.

Several samples may be examined simultaneously using automated reading, which would otherwise be time-consuming for clinical researchers, increasing study time and total expenditures.