Towards the Automation of Scientific Method

The automation of scientific method is a subject of increasing intellectual and practical interest, with potentially great benefits to science and society. This paper discusses four key challenges in this task and explains how they have been addressed within a functional genomics project known as the Robot Scientist. In so doing, it describes how abduction and induction have enabled the automatic revision of metabolic models through a synthesis of cutting edge artificial intelligence and laboratory robotics. Our aim is to summarise the progress which has already been made and to set out an agenda for further technological and social changes that are needed to turn the automation of science into a truly useful reality.