Considerations when buying a liquid handler

Lab space

We all know that lab space is at a premium. A liquid handler with a smaller footprint will be beneficial if your lab space is limited and for it to be portable enough to change location as your lab develops. Bonus points if you can lift and move it on your own. If you work in an anaerobic chamber or in a laminar flow hood, consider a pipetting robot small enough to be compatible.

Throughput

One of the easiest decisions is: how big are the experiments you wish to conduct? Do you need a high-throughput system to get through 100 PCR plates for you? Or are you looking for something simply to help you pick up replicates with better accuracy than a manual pipette?

Liquid handlers are often advertised as being able to run super complex workflows across multiple deck positions over an entire day, but not everyone needs that kind of pipetting. Decide whether it is more suitable to have a hyper-powered pipetting beast or a smaller more manageable “starter kit”?

Your workflow

This is when you consider what labware to use: tubes or multi-well plates? And how many do you need per experiment? If the answer is a lot, then investing in a high-throughput liquid handler may be your choice, or perhaps a more reasonably priced pipetting robot with a slightly lower throughput is your thing? 

What volume range do you require per workflow and which automation system can accommodate it? Most offer a range of 1 – 1000 μl, but check the accuracy, precision and reliability data to check if it’s accurate enough at low-volumes for your application(s). 

Also consider the human resource, a lot of systems need a full-time babysitter to watch over them in order to complete an experiment. This gate-keeps new scientists from using automation, encouraging them to stay in the dark ages of manual pipetting. We know that a new generation of researchers deserve access to easy-to-learn and reliable instruments.

User experience

You probably know that optimising your liquid classes and workflows is essential for accurate and precise results. If it’s so important it should be super simple to edit and track your changes. Some companies bizarrely don’t seem to think so and couldn’t care less about user experience. Too often we end up making-do with solutions that feel like we’re still in the 90s. You want automation because you don’t want dated technology, why settle for ‘slightly less dated’? Compare liquid handling tutorials and “how to…” articles – do they properly show you how the software works?

If many different lab users are engaging with the instrument, it is worth considering how easy the instrument is to use and how intuitive the software is. Intuitive software that can be learnt quickly saves a lot of time and reduces downtime when doing maintenance. Nobody wants to buy an instrument that only one person in the lab knows how to use (and then they leave!) – this is sadly all too common. Seek out judgement from scientists who have experienced the robots’ quirks.

Support

Never settle for anything less than world-class reliability and service. If there are many support engineers in your area, what does that tell you about the reliability of the company’s product? Oddly, many companies advertise that having lots of support engineers is a good thing? Challenge this misnomer, expect better.

Consider the maintenance requirements and durability of the liquid handler. How often does it need servicing? Are spare parts easily available? Investing in a machine that is built to last and requires minimal maintenance will save you time and money in the long run. Look for companies with a high NPS (Net Promoter Score), where a score over 70 is considered world-class, meaning most customers would recommend the company or product to a friend or colleague. Few support engineers and a high NPS is a great sign that your product will work, this is our number one piece of insider advice from within the industry.

Easy care

Cleaning, sterilising and maintaining your lab automation is incredibly important to fighting against contamination and keeping up accuracy. It should also be the simplest lab chore to complete. A small machine with smooth surfaces, easily removable parts and a UV light go a long way towards that.

Data export & traceability

With increased throughput, traceability of plates is important for tracking data. Some automated pipetting robots export data in readable formats for more legible end-to-end traceability. Consider what data you need to best collaborate with other scientists and in what format?