Book 15, Question 93
Why Do Robots in Science Labs Move Tiny Drops of Liquid?
Lab robots move tiny drops of liquid because they can measure more exactly than hands! They use thin tubes to move the drops from one container to another. A drop can be smaller than a raindrop.
More fun facts
- Lab robots grow cells and test huge numbers of chemicals far faster and more steadily than people can.
- Scientists use them to test hundreds of thousands of molecules to find ideas for new medicines.
- Tests happen on plates with 1,536 tiny wells each.
- Some machines move liquid with sound waves, so nothing has to touch the drops.
- Each drop moved by the sound wave is a precise size, so every well gets just the right amount.
- At one lab, freezers have little robot fetchers inside that work like huge vending machines.
- One robot system can test thousands of pairs of drugs each week to see which ones work best together.
Sources: National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health
Questions kids ask
Do lab robots work alone?
No. As one scientist said, people love the robots, but it's the humans that make it happen.