Automation and High-Throughput Protein Production

Published: 9月 8, 2026

Automation has become a key enabler in recombinant protein production, addressing the increasing demand for high-throughput processing, consistent data generation, and reduced experimental variability across protein development workflows.1

Key Takeaways

  • Automation supports high-throughput recombinant protein production by reducing experimental variability and improving workflow consistency.
  • Laboratory automation enables reproducible workflows across cloning, expression, purification, and characterization stages.
  • Automated liquid handling can improve data quality, process development speed, and consistency in recombinant protein production.
  • Reducing manual handling helps improve reproducibility and efficiency across protein development workflows.

Laboratory Automation for Protein Production

Laboratory automation plays a critical role in modern protein production by enabling high-throughput, reproducible workflows across cloning, expression, purification, and characterization stages. The Biomek i-Series Automated Liquid Handlers support parallel processing of large sample numbers, integration with analytical instruments, and standardized workflows, thereby accelerating process development, improving data quality, reproducibility, and enhancing consistency in recombinant protein production.

Improving Reproducibility and Efficiency in Protein Workflows

Reproducibility and efficiency are critical for successful protein research and biopharmaceutical development, as variability introduced during sample preparation, protein expression, purification, and analytical testing can significantly impact data quality and decision-making. The adoption of laboratory automation enhances reproducibility by minimizing human error, reducing manual handling, and enabling precise execution of complex workflows.1

Automation benefits at a glance:

Reduced manual handling → improved reproducibility → standardized workflows → higher data quality → faster decision-making

View References
  1. Alhammad LA, Ainosah TK, Ahmad AM et al. (2023). The impact of laboratory automation on efficiency and accuracy in healthcare settings. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 11(1), 459–463.
  2. Bhatwa A, Wang W, Hassan YI et al. (2021). Challenges Associated With the Formation of Recombinant Protein Inclusion Bodies in Escherichia coli and Strategies to Address Them for Industrial Applications. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 9:630551.
  3. Blass E, Ott PA. (2021). Advances in the development of personalized neoantigen-based therapeutic cancer vaccines. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. 18, 215–229.
  4. Cha H, Park J-H. (2021). Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Production in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Is Enhanced by Supplementation of α-Helix Domain of 30Kc19 Protein. Applied Sciences. 11(22):11009.
  5. Chabot et al. (2026). Development of a recombinant membrane protein ELISA for analyzing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 envelope proteins. Journal of Biological Chemistry. Volume 302(1).
  6. Chen Y-L, Xie X-X, Zhong N et al. (2023). Research Progresses and Applications of Fluorescent Protein Antibodies: A Review Focusing on Nanobodies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 24(5):4307.
  7. Creangă EC, Stan R, Nicolae AC et al. (2025). Personalized Therapeutic Advances in Erythropoietin Signaling: From Anemia Management to Extensive Clinical Applications. Pharmaceutics. 17(9):1190.
  8. Echelard Y, Meade HM, Ziomek CA. (2006). Production of Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins in the Milk of Transgenic Animals. BioPharm International. 19(8).
  9. Gupta V, Sengupta M, Prakash J et al. (2017). Production of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Proteins. In: Basic and Applied Aspects of Biotechnology. Springer, Singapore.
  10. Gupta V et al. (2016). Production of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Proteins. Basic and Applied Aspects of Biotechnology. 77–101.
  11. Hernandez SI, Berezin CT, Miller KM et al. (2024). Sequencing Strategy to Ensure Accurate Plasmid Assembly. ACS Synthetic Biology. 13(12):4099-4109.
  12. Hong M, Li T, Xue W et al. (2022). Genetic engineering of baculovirus-insect cell system to improve protein production. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 10:994743.
  13. Hou L, Zhang XY, Li Y et al. (2016). Rapid Screening of Recombinant Plasmids by Direct Colony Quantitative Real-Time PCR. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology. 7, 428-433.
  14. Beckman Coulter. Nanoliter-Scale DNA Assembly with the Echo 525 Liquid Handler Application Note.
  15. Jayakrishnan A, Wan Rosli WR, Tahir ARM et al. (2024). Evolving Paradigms of Recombinant Protein Production in Pharmaceutical Industry: A Rigorous Review. Sci. 6(1):9.
  16. Kumar V, Barwal A, Sharma N et al. (2024). Therapeutic proteins: developments, progress, challenges, and future perspectives. 3 Biotech. 14, 112.
  17. Mahmood F, Xu R, Awan MUN et al. (2023). HBV Vaccines: Advances and Development. Vaccines. 11(12):1862.
  18. Martins JT, Bourbon AI, Pinheiro AC et al. (2018). Protein-Based Structures for Food Applications: From Macro to Nanoscale. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2:77.
  19. Ojima-Kato T. (2025). Advances in recombinant protein production in microorganisms and functional peptide tags. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 89(1).
  20. Pastores GM. (2010). Recombinant Glucocerebrosidase (Imiglucerase) as a Therapy for Gaucher Disease. BioDrugs. 24, 41–47.
  21. Rosano GL, Morales ES, Ceccarelli EA. (2019). New tools for recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli: A 5-year update. Protein Science. 28(8):1412-1422.
  22. Shanmugaraj B, Bulaon CJI, Phoolcharoen W. (2020). Plant Molecular Farming: A Viable Platform for Recombinant Biopharmaceutical Production. Plants. 9(7):842.
  23. Shilling PJ, Mirzadeh K, Cumming AJ et al. (2020). Improved designs for pET expression plasmids increase protein production yield in Escherichia coli. Communications Biology. 3, 214.
  24. Wang W. (2015). Advanced protein formulations. Protein Science. 24(7):1031-9.
  25. Wu et al. (2025). Automating an Adeno-associated Virus (AAV) Functional Assay Using the Biomek i7 Liquid Handler with Integrated Vi-CELL BLU Analyzer. Application Note.
  26. Swain SM, Shastry M, Hamilton E. (2023). Targeting HER2-positive breast cancer: advances and future directions. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 22(2):101-126.
  27. Konkle B, Oldenburg J, Pasi J et al. (2023). Prophylaxis with a recombinant factor VIII Fc in hemophilia A: long-term follow-up on joint health, efficacy, and safety from phase 3 studies in children and adults.
  28. Gao Y, Yin Y, Xie P et al. (2025). Interferon in Liver Diseases: Recent Advances. Advances in Therapy. 42, 4210–4223.

Explore Related Protein Production Topics

Continue exploring the technologies, workflows, and applications that support efficient and scalable recombinant protein production.

FAQ on Automation for Protein Production

How can liquid handling systems improve protein expression and sample processing efficiency?

Automated liquid handling systems improve protein expression and sample processing efficiency by reducing manual intervention, increasing throughput, and ensuring precise and reproducible reagent dispensing. In protein production workflows, they streamline tasks such as culture setup, clone screening, media preparation, assay setup, and sample preparation, enabling consistent execution of complex protocols across large numbers of samples.1

How does automation improve protein production workflows in high-throughput labs?

Automation enhances protein production workflows by reducing manual effort, improving reproducibility, and enabling parallel processing of large sample numbers. In high-throughput protein production laboratories, automated liquid handling systems accelerate clone screening, expression optimization, purification, and assay setup while minimizing risk of human error and workflow variability.1

Basse Hofzumahaus 

Basse Hofzumahaus 

Product Marketing Manager 

About the author:

Basse Hofzumahaus brings 15+ years of experience in life sciences, across academia, R&D, and product management. With a PhD and M.Sc. in Biotechnology, he connects scientific depth with a focus on upstream bioprocessing, microbial fermentation, CHO workflows, clone screening, and microbioreactor development. 

Talk to an Expert