Automated devices have become a standard presence across the majority of life science laboratories. For many researchers, instruments, such as the fluorescence microplate reader and microplate washer, represent familiar technological advances that have quietly become part of everyday laboratory life to save one’s time and energy. Few pause to consider the depth of engineering and scientific thinking behind these pieces of equipment, all designed for the precise, resource-saving handling and analysis of microtiter plates.
An automated workflow station is not complete without a microtiter plate reader, however, streamlining sample screening constitutes only a small portion of opportunities. © Green Elephant Biotech.
The growing adoption of robotic devices in laboratory sciences is driven by an increasing workload and the rising expectation for precise, replicable workflows. Single-use and reusable microtiter plates — or microplates — are a fundamental piece of equipment in wet laboratories, and their most widely used format, the 96-well plate, is an industry standard across a broad range of screening and diagnostic assays (1).
Beyond the number and arrangement of wells, microplates are manufactured from a variety of materials and colors, each tailored to specific applications with their own underlying principles and sensitivity requirements. Microtiter plate readers and pipetting systems are among the most widely implemented automated platforms in this space, with documented improvements across multiple aspects of laboratory productivity. Automated pipetting systems, for instance, have been reported to reduce variation by 60–70% while performing operations three times faster than manual pipetting (2).
Robotic platforms and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) systems extend this productivity gains even further, enabling the simultaneous analysis of multiple samples and generating real-time data on molecular interactions. While the range of available devices is vast and continues to grow, throughput and reproducibility remain the central drivers behind automation adoption.
With laboratories investing millions into specialized equipment and consumables, a well-designed and consistently executed experimental setup that minimizes the random errors introduced by human inconsistency have the venue to unlock deeper research capacity and support higher-value work (3). In this entry, the focus will fall upon the automated platforms validated with the Green Elephant® 96-well microPLAtes — manufactured from PLA, a plant-based alternative to conventional polystyrene — and the performance advantages this combination can offer.
One plate can exhibit many kinds of signals, but a microplate reader gets to capture all of them
Among the essential tools found in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, the microtiter plate reader holds a prominent place. This instrument measures a broad spectrum of reactions and analytes across the individual wells of a microplate. As a reaction progresses or a product forms, chemical (e.g., absorbance), biological (e.g., luminescence), or physical (e.g., fluorescence) signals are converted into optical ones, which the reader’s detection system captures and quantifies (5).
While the first microplate reader was developed to accelerate the analysis of batch blood tests during an influenza outbreak in the early 1950s, today’s instruments can process up to 3,456 samples per minute — and in some cases, per second (6). At the heart of the microplate reader sits a photomultiplier tube, which converts photons into an electrical signal. Depending on the application, the optical system may also incorporate filters and monochromators to more precisely record emission wavelengths (5).
The rising demand for faster and higher throughput of experiments in the biopharmaceutics and similar industries readily cultivates automation for microtiter plates. The degree of variation found among automated liquid handling systems is comparable to that seen in microplate readers, though the underlying principles are no less complex. Because automated systems replace the visual feedback of a human operator with programmed instructions, predefined parameters corresponding to a liquid’s physical properties, such as viscosity, surface tension, density, and vapour pressure – its assigned liquid class, determine the optimal handling conditions (2).
Different liquid classes call for different pipetting approaches. Acoustic transfer, for instance, uses precisely tuned sound waves to move liquid without any physical contact, allowing it to handle volumes as small as 2.5 nanolitres while guaranteeing zero cross-contamination. Unlike displacement pipetting or peristaltic pump systems, acoustic transfer is particularly well-suited to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions, though it is less effective with more viscous samples (2).
From manual assistance to data synthesis and interpretation, the benefits extend beyond precision
Beyond the clinical drive to increase productivity in life science laboratories at the onset of the Golden Age of Antibiotics, the staff shortages of the Second World War also accelerated the widespread availability of electronic components. In the decades that followed, the advancement of laboratory robotics has been exponential. Robotic arms, for example, can now streamline an extensive range of processes from sample handling through to analysis and data management (6).
Both, as standalone systems and as integrated components, robotic arms improve precision and laboratory throughput, as well as enable safe and continuous operation when working with hazardous materials or time-sensitive reagents. Collaborative robots illustrate this well, taking over repetitive tasks and accelerating processes such as drug development and discovery. When further combined with artificial intelligence, drug discovery timelines can fall to as little as one to two years — potentially saving around USD 2.8 billion for every newly developed medical agent (6).
In a similar way to how AI models draw conclusions about drug efficacy and molecular structure, SPR systems support the prediction of intermolecular interactions between proteins or drug compounds. These systems work by quantifying changes in light absorbance that occur when a ligand, immobilized on the sensor surface, binds to or undergoes a conformational change with an analyte in solution (7).
In drug discovery applications, SPR devices are used to confirm a drug candidate’s affinity for its target and to refine promising leads through kinetic analysis. This same sensitivity makes SPR valuable in the development of advanced therapies, where interactions between cells, vectors, and antibodies must be thoroughly characterized to support product safety and quality (8).
Many scientists take them for granted, but the lab would not look the same without these devices
Although devices, such as microplate washers and heat sealers, may appear less technically striking than analytical instruments, they are no less important to the integrity of laboratory workflows. Microplate washers, for instance, do considerably more than remove unbound reagents from well walls, supporting reuse strategies in appropriate contexts. When washing is performed inadequately, residual material can interfere with subsequent assays in the same plate, compromising both measurements and the scientific conclusions drawn from the data (9).
Modern washers incorporate advanced liquid management systems with a high degree of user customization, including control over soaking time and rinse cycle parameters. Following aspiration of the washing solution, precision pipetting systems reduce residual volumes to as little as 1 nanolitre, all within a timeframe of 0.1 to 9.9 seconds. The result is a device that combines ease of use with versatility, reduced reagent waste, and improved process consistency compared to manual methods (9).
Similarly, heat sealing operates on a straightforward principle: applying heat and air pressure to a sealable film placed over a microplate creates an airtight barrier that protects sensitive assay contents from evaporation, contamination, and oxidation. In practice, however, insufficient sealing or over-sealing can occur when parameters are not properly optimized or when plate-film compatibility has not been verified (10).
Microplate sealers are not restricted by plate architecture or design and can accommodate a range of specialist films, including those for low-temperature storage and gas-permeable applications. A recent investigation of the Green Elephant® 96-well microPLAtes confirmed PLA’s suitability for effective heat sealing at 160°C, despite the material’s characteristically low melting point (11). This finding reinforces both the reliability of the sealing technology and its relevance alongside the instruments discussed earlier.
The instruments explored in this entry collectively represent the infrastructure that modern life science research depends upon on the daily. Individually, each addresses well-understood bottleneck in laboratory workflows and together, they form an ecosystem that enables reproducible and high-throughput environment.
In the same environment, academic and industrial facilities simultaneously look for the solutions that would reduce environmental impact and upkeep with automation advancements. This goal predisposes the development and production of familiar consumables with alternative materials like PLA, contributing to circular economy without a negative impact on throughput or productivity.
Consequently, the rising significance of compatibility between instrumentation and low-impact microplate with a rising scale of operations identify the consumable selection as a strategic choice. A microplate that addresses research objectives and makes most of automation investments, after all, is as invaluable as the devices we use with it.
Claims based on evidence:
At Green Elephant Biotech, we ensure that the devices compatible with our consumables not only accelerate your workflow, but offer an advantage when compared quantitatively to conventional tools.
This is the reason why when using heat sealing with the 96-well microPLAtes, manufactured from plant-based plastics, heat sealing efficiency is found to be larger than with polysterene microtiter plates.
Looking to learn more? Our latest application note and supplementary data produced together with BioAscent is available for download on the Brochures & Literature page.
References:
- The microplate: utility in practice. (2026). BMG Labtech. Available https://www.bmglabtech.com/en/the-microplate-utility-in-practice/ (Accessed 20 April 2026).
- Liquid Class Principles: Understanding Automated Liquid Handling. (2025). Boston Industries, Inc. Available https://www.bostonind.com/blog/liquid-class-principles-understanding-automated-liquid-handling (Accessed 20 April 2026).
- The Hidden Costs of On-Campus Labs. (2025). Victoria Guzzo, Science Interactive. Available tps://www.scienceinteractive.com/blog/2025/the-hidden-costs-of-on-campus-labs/ (Accessed 21 April 2026).
- Microplate reader. (2026). BMG Labtech. Available https://www.bmglabtech.com/en/microplate-reader/ (Accessed 20 April 2026).
- The history of the microplate — a ubiquitous biomedical lab technology. (2010). Thomas Söderqvist, Medicinsk Museion. Available https://www.museion.ku.dk/blog/the-history-of-microplate-technology/ (Accessed 21 April 2026).
- Serrano, DR, Luciano, FC, Anaya, BJ, Ongoren, B, Kara, A, Molina, G, Ramirez, BI, Sánchez-Guirales, SA, Simon, JA, Tomietto, G, Rapti, C, Ruiz, HK, Rawat, S, Kumar, D, Lalatsa, A, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications in Drug Discovery and Drug Delivery: Revolutionizing Personalized Medicine (2024). Pharmaceutics 16: pp. 1328-55. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16101328.
- Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Systems. (2026). Biocompare. Available https://www.biocompare.com/Lab-Equipment/23222-Surface-Plasmon-Resonance-Systems-SPR-System/ (Accessed 21 April 2026).
- How does SPR work in Drug Discovery. (2025). Denovo® Biolabs. Available https://denovobiolabs.com/how-does-spr-work-in-drug-discovery/ (Accessed 21 April 2026).
- The Science Behind Microplate Washers: How They Work. (2024). Wuxi Huawei Diatek Instrumental Co., Ltd. Available https://www.hiwelldiatek.com/the-science-behind-microplate-washers-how-they-work.html (Accessed 23 April 2026).
- The Advantages of Using Heat Sealers for Plates in the Laboratory. (2025). Scott Ramscar, Chromatography Direct Ltd. Available https://blog.chromatographydirect.com/the-advantages-of-using-heat-sealers-for-plates-and-mats-in-the-laboratory (Accessed 23 April 2026).
- Evaluation of heat sealing of PLA microplates for the purpose of sample storage. (2026). Michael Speake, Duncan Borthwick, BioAscent & Green Elephant Biotech. Available https://greenelephantbiotech.com/document/heat-sealing-of-96-well-microplate/ (Accessed 22 April 2026).
