Unlocking Lab Automation
A Conversation with Sudha Gollapudi and Madeline Wolf of The Automated Lab
“There’s a human component in every part of this job.”
I love this insight from Sudha Gollapudi on the empathy and communication skills needed to unlock the full potential of scientific lab automation.
Automating parts – or all – of the research and development process is a key strategy for accelerating scientific discovery. And, limits to current technology, challenges with integrating equipment from different vendors, and even cultural barriers make it easier said than done.
To help me make sense of what it will take to accelerate scientific discovery through lab automation, I recently sat down with Sudha Gollapudi and Madeline Wolf of The Automated Lab, a resource hub and contract engineering service for lab automation. Sudha and Madeline cut their teeth in lab automation at innovative organizations such as Genentech, Ginkgo Bioworks, and Calico, a subsidiary of Google’s Alphabet.
In our wide-ranging conversation, we explored:
What lab automation actually encompasses (with examples)
Modular-first design in lab automation
Solving the human-robot interface with NLP & flexible data infrastructure
Adapting scientific culture to increased automation
Hot takes from the recent SLAS lab automation and screening conference
Sudha and Madeline’s career journeys into lab automation
Lab automation’s environmental impact
Watch or Listen Now
If you want to explore the potential of lab automation – or get a solid introduction into the space from two sharp experts – catch out our full conversation:
Also available on:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/42Uvv5J
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40sQCu9
Additional Show Notes
Episode Links:
The Automated Lab: https://theautomatedlab.com/
Open Source Resource Page: https://theautomatedlab.com/article.html?content=open-source
Vivo Hamilton Liquid Handler Chatbot: https://hamilton-bot.sudhagollapudi.com/
Automated Lab Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theautomatedlab
Sudha's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudha-gollapudi-21319029/
Madeline's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinewolf/
ELISA Biochemistry Assay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELISA
Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS): https://www.slas.org/
Episode Chapters:
00:54: Episode Introduction & Preview
05:38: Sudha and Madeline’s Academic + Professional Experience
06:53: Madeline’s Path Into Biotech Lab Automation
09:40: Sudha’s Path Into Biotech Lab Automation
10:55: Career Pathways Into Lab Automation
15:38: What Encompasses Lab Automation?
17:29: Lab Automation Example: Workcell for ELISA Immunological Assay
22:19: Environmental Impact of Lab Automation
27:31: SLAS Conference Hot Takes; Move to Smaller Footprint Products
36:28: Modular-First Design In Lab Automation
41:51: LIMs, ELNs, And Making Data More Accessible
46:10: Solving the Human-Robot Interface With NLP, Flexible Data Infrastructure
52:23: Automation For R&D vs Manufacturing
57:07: Adapting The Culture of Science To Increased Automation
1:00:29: Standardizing Scientific Language
1:08:02: How To Partner With The Automated Lab