Opentrons Flex® Robot Surpasses 100 Protocols, Helping Labs Cut Costs and Accelerate Research

By automating high-demand genomics and proteomics workflows, Opentrons enables faster, more scalable experiments

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Opentrons Labworks, Inc., a leader in lab automation and accessible robotics, today announced it has surpassed 100 protocols for its flagship Opentrons Flex robot, providing labs with a more seamless way to automate time-consuming labor-intensive tasks and move more quickly towards scientific discoveries. The Flex now offers an industry-leading number of ready-to-run protocols in its open Protocol Library among benchtop automation platforms, achieving this milestone in just 18 months.

Protocols in the Opentrons® Protocol Library are automated processes verified by Opentrons, a reagent manufacturer or other trusted partner, or are submitted by members of the Opentrons community. They dramatically decrease the hands-on time needed to get any process up and running, allowing labs to shift personnel hours from tedious setup to deeper data analysis. By providing verified workflows with built-in quality control, Opentrons Flex cuts both startup costs and the learning curve typically associated with lab automation.

Partnering with top reagent providers, including MACHEREY-NAGEL, Omega Bio-Tek, PacBio, Parse Biosciences, and QIAGEN, has allowed Opentrons to provide scientists with protocols for workflows in the most in-demand areas of biological research, such as genomics.

“Researchers rely on PacBio’s long-read sequencing to capture genomic insights often missed by other methods,” said David Miller, VP of Global Marketing at PacBio. “The Opentrons Flex and the Vega system are well-matched to enable accessible, ready-to-use workflows at the benchtop. Together, these solutions increase library prep efficiency so scientists can focus on interpreting the data and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in genomics.”

The Protocol Library makes the Opentrons Flex a versatile, capable tool for labs regardless of their size or focus area. Opentrons also plans on adding more partner protocols through agreements with prominent genomics and proteomics tools providers in 2025.

“Reaching 100 protocols signals that labs no longer need to choose between affordability and advanced automation,” said James Atwood, General Manager of Robotics at Opentrons. “Each protocol in our library reflects real-world applications, whether it’s preparing samples for NGS, characterizing complex proteins, or extracting nucleic acids. We’ve seen labs of every size adopt the Flex robot, and we plan to double down on building even more protocols with our partners, as these protocols not only deliver an exceptional customer experience but enable continued optimization of OpentronsAI.”

To learn more about the Protocol Library, visit Opentrons at this week’s SLAS2025 International Conference & Exhibition in San Diego at our booth #1914. For more on the Opentrons Flex, please visit opentrons.com/robots/flex.

About Opentrons:

Opentrons Labworks, Inc., a disruptive life science company and the current market leader in entry-level lab automation, accelerates innovation in research and healthcare through its integrated lab platform, which includes business units Opentrons® Robotics and Neochromosome™. Opentrons has raised over $200 million in funding and achieved unicorn status based on its innovative technologies. The Opentrons Flex® is Opentrons’ newest generation of liquid-handling lab robots, offering open-source accessibility and compatibility with generative AI tools. Opentrons Robotics provides thousands of institutions with flexible, easy-to-use lab robots, automating R&D operations and making a vast open-source library accessible to life sciences researchers worldwide. Opentrons is used in labs at the top 20 academic universities in the US and 14 of 15 leading global biopharmaceutical companies. Learn more at https://opentrons.com/.