Automating the Cleaning of High-Aspect-Ratio Microplates for High-Throughput Screening
Client Need & Project Overview
As the life sciences industry accelerated toward higher-throughput discovery workflows, laboratories began adopting increasingly automated systems to support scale, repeatability, and contamination control. Diversa, a leader in microbial discovery, developed the GigaMatrix screening platform, also engineered in partnership with NOVO, which relied on ultra-high-density microplates containing up to one million high-aspect-ratio wells per 3 x 5-inch plate.
To reuse these plates in downstream assays, they needed to be cleaned according to a tightly controlled protocol that manual processes could not achieve at the required throughput or consistency. Diversa sought a fully automated microplate cleaning robot that could execute a multi-step wash and dry sequence, avoid damage to the fragile labware, and achieve a throughput of six plates per hour.
The project required industrializing a novel cleaning process and integrating robotics, fluidics, and automation into a cohesive system. This type of integrated approach has since become central to modern laboratory automation, where robotic transport and multi-stage workflows are now foundational elements of high-throughput research.
Key Engineering Challenges & Solutions
| Challenge | NOVO’s Solution |
|---|---|
| Cleaning extremely high-aspect-ratio wells: Capillary forces prevented effective cleaning using immersion or low-pressure methods. | Developed a multi-stage sequence combining pressure washing, ultrasonic cleaning, and vacuum drying to fully clear narrow, deep wells. |
| Protecting fragile microplate surfaces: Rigid contact or misalignment could easily damage the expensive plates. | Integrated a six-axis robotic arm with custom grippers and non-contact handling methods that prevented any rigid contact with plate surfaces. |
| Managing high-pressure fluid systems: High-volume spray and circulation required reliable, serviceable connections. | Designed robust fluid routing with accessible reservoirs, filtration, and waste systems suitable for continuous laboratory use. |
| Coordinating multiple specialized cleaning stations: Each stage required precise timing and plate transfer. | Built an enclosed, multi-station layout that supported simultaneous operation while isolating each process step. |
| Delivering the system within 16 weeks: Diversa needed rapid development without compromising reliability. | Used modular PIC motion controllers, industrial automation components, and established NOVO lab automation design practices to accelerate build and integration. |
Technical Innovations & System Design
NOVO combined its experience in robotics, motion control, and custom fluidic systems to create a tightly integrated and automated cleaning platform. Key design elements included:
- Six-axis robotic arm for precise, gentle, non-contact handling of fragile microplates.
- Multi-stage cleaning process incorporating high-pressure sprays, ultrasonic agitation, and vacuum drying.
- Enclosed multi-station architecture allowing simultaneous process steps without cross-contamination.
- Hybrid control architecture using microcontroller-driven servo motion alongside industrial automation hardware.
- Serviceable reservoirs, filtration modules, and waste collections for ease of maintenance.
- Fluid separation and vacuum systems, including cyclonic separation and pneumatic subsystems.
Results & Impact
- Validated cleaning performance: biological assays confirmed complete cleaning of ultra-high-density wells.
- High throughput: the robot cleans approximately 40 plates per day in routine use.
- Hands-free operation: once started, the system runs without operator supervision.
- Low maintenance: designed for day-to-day operation with minimal service intervals.
This approach reflected a broader shift in life sciences engineering toward automated, multi-step workflows and robotic orchestration. The system anticipated many of the principles that would later define standardized laboratory automation frameworks, such as coordinated station-to-station transfers and integrated fluid-handling modules.
Why NOVO Engineering?
NOVO’s multidisciplinary capabilities in robotics, motion control, fluid handling, and automation software positioned the team to convert a complex manual cleaning protocol into a reliable automated system. The project aligned with industry trends that would grow significantly in the years that followed, including the move toward robotic-managed workflows in screening and sample preparation, the rise of multi-stage automated processes, and the adoption of data-driven and contamination-controlled laboratory automation systems.
By integrating robotics with specialized fluidics and multi-step processing, NOVO delivered a system that demonstrated early principles now common in modern automated laboratories.
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