Robotics, biochemical assays

In the initial stages of searching for active compounds, the number of compounds to be screened is often greater than 100,000 and can exceed 500,000. Even 1 million compounds or more may be screened in a single assay.14 For this reason, biochemical screens must be inexpensive and quick. Ideally, the screen is automated and performed by a robot. Solutions of all necessary reagents and compounds to be tested are loaded into the instrument. The robot, called a liquid handler, dispenses reagents and solutions into microtiter plates. 

Automation of assays based on nearly every biochemical effect like enzymatic reactions, cell-surface receptor-, and intracellular receptor binding, protein-protein-, and protein-nucleic acid interaction, cell adhesion, etc. has been reported. Robotic systems used in biological screening can be devided into workstation-type systems [354] and integrated systems [355].Integrated systems are custom-made and allow one to integrate nearly every peripheral module necessary for screening courses. 

Cogan, E. B., Birrell, G. B., and Griffith, O. H. (1999). A robotics-based automated assay for inorganic and organic phosphates. Anal. Biochem. 271, 29-35. 

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