Mar 11 2021 Read 200 Times
Author: Kevin Smith on behalf
of Thermo Fisher Scientific (UK) Ltd
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Over the last decade, laboratory automation has proven to be critical, and its benefits, such as increased throughput, standardisation and reproducibility, have been recognised by organisations worldwide. The importance of automation has especially come to light during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it has enabled laboratories to operate efficiently in a challenging climate. First, it can minimise the number of people required on-site, which helps to reduce transmission risks and overcome the shortage of trained technicians, and second, it facilitates the rapid scale up of diagnostic testing. This article reviews the importance of automation and the role of digital solutions within automated science. It goes on to explore how automated processes featuring laboratory information management systems (LIMS) software have minimised disruption from the pandemic, and allowed COVID-19 testing to be quickly scaled up to meet demand.