Hamilton Robotics provides Students at University of Nevada, Reno with Advanced Automation Technology

Students and faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno will soon be exploring new robotic innovations and accessing state-of-the-art laboratory automation systems in collaboration with the Hamilton Company, a Reno-based international robotic manufacturing company.

The University's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources is providing laboratory space in the Howard Medical Sciences building for several automated liquid handling stations, where Hamilton aims to develop new cell-, protein- and nucleic acid-based applications for their workstations. Students and faculty will be trained to use the high-throughput, accurate and complex instruments, which use precision robotic arms to automate a wide range of laboratory tasks.

“This project has the potential to increase the research productivity at the University and could lead to new research opportunities, said” David Shintani, biochemistry professor and associate dean of the college. “It will also provide an unprecedented training opportunity for our students, which will give them a competitive edge when they enter the job market.”

The workstations in the Hamilton Center for Laboratory Automation will perform tasks in minutes that would take technicians hours or even days to complete, without the risk of human error associated with repetitive and tedious motions. The instruments are most commonly used for the isolation, extraction, normalization, amplification, purification, cloning and analysis of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) for all types of biological materials, including blood, bacteria cultures, cells, tissue and plants.

“Hamilton is thrilled to take part in educating the young scientists and clinicians of the future, especially within our own backyard," said Jose Carle, vice-president at Hamilton Robotics, a division of the Hamilton Company. “Not only does this opportunity provide a unique learning experience for the students, it also gives Hamilton new insights into the needs and expectations of potential future customers. In addition, it provides a broader employment pool when we look for talented researchers and technicians to be a part of our company,” said Carle.