Microbiology lab automation arrives.

e d u c a t i o n a dvances in medicine have challenged labs to push the limits on diagnostics, so the industry has responded with automated solutions designed to improve efficiency, consistency , and turnaround times. Leaders in the field of in vitro diagnostics stepped up to create solutions for every stage in the laboratory process — pre-analytic, analytic, and informatics — with even more advances on the horizon. With labs not only facing increased volumes but also pressure from issues such as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and other so-called " superbugs, " conventional methods are being updated and automated to combat threats to public health. In many labs, automation long embraced has proven effective. For some time now, using lab automation in chemistry and hematology has been considered standard practice. In contrast, microbiology has resisted the automation " evolution " and tried to hold true to its manual " roots, " leaving diagnostics companies wondering if the microbiology lab would ever be automated. Due to this lab's complex and customized nature, including a host of specimens and various collection-container shapes, challenges and costs to automate seemed insurmountable. Changing perceptions, however, mean that microbiology labs are beginning to accept the shift toward automation for reasons as numerous and varied as microbiology itself. Microbiologists and lab technicians recognize that automated solutions are not intended to replace cognitive decision-making but rather, simply replace tedious, repetitive steps. Streamlining workflow maintains consistency but allows microbiologists to devote more time to operations that require their unique skills and experience. Full microbiology laboratory automation needs have never been so apparent, with financial constraints and increasing testing volumes at the same time that labor is becoming both harder to find and more expensive. Implementation of full microbiology lab automation is one solution, as fewer technologists are required to process automated tests. Overall, laboratories tran-sitioning from conventional to automated processes find that technologists and microbiologists are more open to innovation and improved quality. Automated solutions have recently emerged in the marketplace that address key areas of the microbiology lab. Automating these processes — simple, standard, or complex — can revolutionize the microbiology lab with more efficient, standardized practices that will improve quality, safety, and cost-efficiency. For example, automating small, yet vitally important tasks, can make a huge impact on the efficiency and accuracy of laboratories. Lab technicians streak an estimated 500 agar plates a day, a …