Activities

Robotic Crowd Biology with Maholo LabDroids
Yachie N, Robotic Biology Consortium, Natsume T
Nature Biotechnology (2017)

We proposed a vision “Robotic Crowd Biology,” demonstrating the potential of humanoid laboratory robots (LabDroids) for automating life science. This concept aims to create a “robotic experiment center” where groups of robots carry out protocols submitted by researchers, improving efficiency, solving reproducibility issues, and reducing research misconduct.

• https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3758

A Variable-scheduling Maintenance Culture Platform for Mammalian Cells
Ochiai K*, Motozawa N*, Terada M, Horinouchi T, Masuda T, Kudo T, Kamei M, Tsujikawa A, Matsukuma K, Natsume T, Kanda GN, Takahashi M, Takahashi K
SLAS Technology (2021)

We developed a fully automated system where a humanoid robot (Maholo LabDroid) acts as the “hands,” and AI software serves as the “brain” for cell culture tasks. We demonstrated closed-loop mammalian cell (HEK293A) maintenance without human intervention.

• https://doi.org/10.1177/2472630320972109
  

Robotic Search for Optimal Cell Culture in Regenerative Medicine
Kanda GN*^†, Tsuzuki T*, Terada M, Sakai N, Motozawa N, Masuda T, Nishida M, Watanabe CT, Higashi T, Horiguchi SA, Kudo T, Kamei M, Sunagawa GA, Matsukuma K, Sakurada T, Ozawa Y^†, Takahashi M, Takahashi K^†, Natsume T^†
eLife (2022)

We built an AI-robot system combining a humanoid robot (Maholo LabDroid) and a newly developed AI algorithm (batch Bayesian optimization). This system autonomously searched for optimal conditions among 200 million possibilities to enhance iPS cell differentiation into retinal pigment epithelial cells, with no human involvement.

• https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77007

Robotic Cell Processing Facility for Clinical Research of Retinal Cell Therapy
Terada M, Kogawa Y, Shibata Y, Kitagawa M, Kato S, Iida T, Yorimitsu T, Kato A, Matsukuma K, Maeda T, Takahashi M^†,Kanda GN^†
SLAS Technology (2023)

To use humanoid robots in clinical research, we designed a cell-processing facility that meets sterility requirements. This clean-environment robot booth was shown to be suitable for manufacturing transplant cells. In 2022, cells cultured by our robot were used in actual patient treatments at Kobe City Eye Hospital.

• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slast.2023.10.004

Regional Developers' Community Accelerates Laboratory Automation
Kato A, Horinouchi T, Ozaki H, Kanda GN
SLAS Technology (2024)

We established a developers community for laboratory automation in 2019 to gather researchers and developers. Our monthly workshop and annual conference offer a place for sharing knowledge. This paper summarizes our activities from 2019 to 2024.

• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slast.2024.100211