Person in cleanroom attire inspecting and adjusting automated manufacturing equipment in a laboratory production environment.

Automated digital PCR setup

Automating your dPCR workflow

Automation in the lab is changing from a luxury to a common necessity. Automated setups, including for your digital PCR (dPCR) process, are becoming more affordable and flexible while maintaining key benefits:

Reducing manual workload
Fast handling of a large number of samples
Lower risk of errors and better data reproducibility
Compliant workflows thanks to reduced errors, better traceability and API integration

From end-to-end automation to semi-automated dPCR setups, automated handling offers undeniable support to meeting your lab’s current and future molecular biology needs.

Portrait of a smiling scientist standing in a laboratory with her arms crossed, while her colleagues are working in the background, conducting experiments and analyzing data

Which QIAcuity automation option is right for you?

The level of automation you need depends on your goals and requirements. Not every lab has the budget or sample numbers to justify a fully automated dPCR setup, whereas other labs may have the throughput and compliance requirements that would benefit from end-to-end dPCR automation. Explore the figure below to see what dPCR automation options for the QIAcuity Digital PCR System are available for your lab*.

Manual vs automated workflow infographic

*Experiment definition may be automated through plate templates available with QIAcuity software version 3.1 and higher (for RUO instruments only).
Result analysis and reports may be automated through analysis and report templates available with QIAcuity software version 3.5 and higher (for RUO instruments only).
The Lab Automation API is available as part of the QIAcuity software version 3.1 and higher (for RUO instruments only).

Which steps of the QIAcuity dPCR can you automate?

Throughout the dPCR process, automation reduces the manual workload and risk of error. Explore the table below to see how you can automate different dPCR steps, from liquid handling to plate sealing and loading, and what distinct benefits you gain for your dPCR runs.

* Integration of a third-party robotic arm possible
** Available in QIAcuity Software 3.5 and higher (by using the template functionality)

QIAcuity: Driving the next generation of automated digital PCR

"Over the last several years, the QIAcuity Digital PCR System has become one of the most widely adopted digital PCR platforms in high-throughput laboratory environments. Expanding our ecosystem through strategic automation partnerships is an important step toward delivering fully automated digital PCR workflows. These collaborations help us provide customers with greater operational efficiency while maintaining the accuracy and reliability they expect from QIAcuity.“

Gerald Schock, Director Product Management Digital PCR at QIAGEN, on why it was worth the effort to enable partial or end-to-end automation on the QIAcuity Digital PCR System

Our partners in dPCR automation

Hamilton with Microlab STAR line

Hamilton is a global leader in liquid-handling technologies, offering products that deliver reliability and performance. The Hamilton Microlab STAR or Microlab Starlet, is used in the QIAcuity dPCR automation together with QIAcuity Nanoplate Priming Plugs for the automated filling of Nanoplates. The workstation is designed to increase throughput, reduce manual pipetting and errors and improve reproducibility through technologies such as liquid-level detection and real-time monitoring to verify that liquid transfers are performed correctly.

View application note

Tecan Fluent Liquid Handler

Tecan is a global leader in laboratory automation, providing integrated solutions that help laboratories increase efficiency, scalability, and process standardization. The Tecan Fluent is an advanced liquid handling workstation engineered to automate complex laboratory workflows with high precision and flexibility. Within the QIAcuity dPCR workflow, the Fluent can be used for automated sample dilution, QIAcuity reaction setup, and dispensing of reaction mixes into QIAcuity Nanoplates. The automated workflow reduces hands-on time, supports higher sample throughput, and promotes consistent, reliable results across runs.

Eppendorf with epMotion

Eppendorf is a global life science company with decades of expertise in precise, reliable liquid handling for modern laboratory workflows. The epMotion 5073 is a highly compact solution for accurate and reproducible automated pipetting and liquid handling. With its no-code epBlue software, workflows can easily be realized without programming experience.

Within the QIAcuity dPCR workflow, the epMotion 5073 automates sample dilution, QIAcuity reaction setup, and dispensing into QIAcuity Nanoplates. Its easy-to-use, no-code software interface simplifies method setup while reducing hands-on time, minimizing pipetting errors, and supporting consistent, reproducible results.

View application note

Opentrons Flex

Opentrons Labworks is a laboratory automation company focused on providing flexible and accessible liquid handling solutions. The Opentrons Flex is a versatile automated pipetting platform designed to streamline laboratory workflows and improve reproducibility through precise liquid handling and intuitive software control. The platform is used in the QIAcuity dPCR workflow to automate sample dilution, QIAcuity reaction setup, and the transfer of reaction mixes into QIAcuity Nanoplates. By automating these steps, the system helps increase throughput, reduce manual pipetting errors, and enhance workflow consistency.

Resources on dPCR automation

White papers on automating dPCR

Use cases for dPCR automation

FAQs on automating your dPCR analysis

Want to automate different workflows?

Separately from dPCR, our award-winning instruments for automated DNA and RNA extractions can help take your hands off more routine tasks.

Compare extraction systems