ABSTRACT
The expectations of laboratory robotics by pharmaceutical industry senior management has evolved considerably during the past five years, particularly regarding the application of robotics to high throughput screening. The impressive successes reported by screening groups in both large and small pharmaceutical companies has presented a high benchmark of achievement that is deemed feasible (1,2,3). Only a few years ago, a robotics group in a large pharmaceutical company was likely to consist of a small number of innovative people who were given the opportunity to look for an automated solution to a single labor-intensive task (4). Now, however, the robotics group is no longer viewed as purely an exploratory, high risk venture with a narrow focus. Laboratory robotics is more commonly considered by senior management to be a low risk investment that will deliver value to the organization as a new all-purpose screening strategy for drug discovery. The robotic high throughput screening group must now play the role of a service facility that is expected to provide its scientist customers within the organization with a variety of products in a predictable, timely and cost-effective manner.
