Editing Laboratory robotics (section)

{{short description|Using robots in biology or chemistry labs}}
'''Laboratory robotics''' is the act of using [[robot]]s in [[biology]], [[chemistry]] or [[engineering]] labs.  For example, pharmaceutical companies employ robots to move biological or chemical samples around to synthesize novel chemical entities or to test pharmaceutical value of existing chemical matter.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Mortimer, James A. |author2=Hurst, W. Jeffrey |title=Laboratory robotics: a guide to planning, programming, and applications |publisher=VCH Publishers |location=New York, N.Y |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-89573-322-1 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Ward | first1 = K. B. | last2 = Perozzo | first2 = M. A. | last3 = Zuk | first3 = W. M. | title = Automatic preparation of protein crystals using laboratory robotics and automated visual inspection | doi = 10.1016/0022-0248(88)90328-4 | journal = Journal of Crystal Growth | volume = 90 | issue = 1–3 | pages = 325–339 | year = 1988 | bibcode = 1988JCrGr..90..325W }}</ref> Advanced laboratory robotics can be used to completely automate the process of science, as in the [[Robot Scientist]] project.<ref>{{Cite journal 
| last1 = King | first1 = R. D. 
| author-link1 = Ross D. King
| last2 = Whelan | first2 = K. E. 
| last3 = Jones | first3 = F. M. 
| last4 = Reiser | first4 = P. G. K. 
| last5 = Bryant | first5 = C. H. 
| last6 = Muggleton | first6 = S. H. 
| author-link6 = Stephen Muggleton
| last7 = Kell | first7 = D. B. 
| author-link7 = Douglas Kell
| last8 = Oliver | first8 = S. G.
| author-link8 = Stephen Oliver (scientist) 
| doi = 10.1038/nature02236 
| title = Functional genomic hypothesis generation and experimentation by a robot scientist 
| journal = Nature 
| volume = 427 
| issue = 6971 
| pages = 247–252 
| year = 2004 
| pmid = 14724639 
| title-link = Robot Scientist 
| bibcode = 2004Natur.427..247K 
| s2cid = 4428725 
}}</ref>

Laboratory processes are suited for robotic automation as the processes are composed of repetitive movements (e.g., pick/place, liquid/solid additions, heating/cooling, mixing, shaking, and testing). Many laboratory robots are commonly referred as [[autosampler]]s, as their main task is to provide continuous samples for analytical devices.