Fully automated cell culture workflows

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The cell culture challenge

The use of mammalian cell culture is rapidly increasing. However, the majority of cell culture operations are carried out manually, even though the core steps of maintaining cells are highly reproducible.

Staff are expected to conduct repetitive tasks for hours each day, and often have to come in outside of normal working hours to tend to their cells or adapt their biology to meet working weeks. This emphasis on manual steps limits both the throughput and the traceability of the workflow.

The limitations of lab automation today

Automation is essential to allow cell culture labs to scale over the coming years. While many cell culture labs use automated instruments to eliminate manual tasks, such as plate handling, highly-trained lab technicians are still spending hours each day tending to these machines. As a result, cell culture labs are limited in their ability to scale with most benchtop automation.

Find out how our approach to automating mammalian cell cultures is improving the scale and quality of labs

Automating mammalian cell culture

The benefits of Automata’s open, integrated cell culture automation solution

Eliminates weekend and evening work

Reduction in manual errors and contamination

Increased repeatability and standardisation

Is Automata right for my cell culture lab?

Here are a few answers to some frequently asked questions

Human or animal-derived adherent and suspension cells (although we also work with systems for bacteria and yeast culture).

Capacity is typically defined by the size of the incubators, and the systems can be expanded in a modular way to add greater capacity. The smallest unit is designed to accommodate 42 96-well plates or 34 6-well plates. The top-end capacity is mostly limited by space and system bottlenecks and will be established as part of the development process.

Yes. In the simplest form, settled suspension cells growing in 96-well plates can be handled with the addition of a centrifuge. At larger scales, shaking incubators can be integrated to facilitate the use of shaken cultures.

It is possible to build your own specific analytical capabilities around the central cell maintenance functions by adding required devices in a modular way. This can be expanded as required.

Media can be loaded in bottles or bags into a refrigerator. This means that the system can be specified to handle larger volumes of media, if required. Media is pumped to the deck of the system and warmed just in time for use.

All labware must be SBS footprint. Typical labware for this application are 96-, 48-, 24-, 6- and 1-well plates. It is also possible to run Greiner Autoflasks.

At the core of all Automata cell culture platforms is the capabilities for media exchange – the most consistent set of processes in maintaining cell lines. This can be a simple configuration for just this activity, both in and out of working hours, giving immediate support for keeping cell cultures happy.

The platform can then easily be expanded with additional capabilities as and when required to extend out the possible workflows.