BD, a global medical technology company, and Biosero, a developer of laboratory automation solutions, have joined forces to enable and facilitate robotic arm integration with BD flow cytometry instruments to accelerate drug discovery and development.

Together, the companies intend to develop new software capabilities within BD flow cytometer instrument software to be compatible with Biosero’s Green Button Go software, as well as jointly support biopharmaceutical and contract research organizations with their custom research needs, to enable easy integration with robotic arms.

Traditionally, several steps in a lab’s flow cytometry workflow for drug discovery and development require manual processes. With robotic integration, these steps can become automated.

“Automation is increasingly paramount for biopharma companies and contract research organizations whose high-throughput drug screening and cell therapy manufacturing efforts rely on the scalability, reproducibility, quality and speed that robotic integration can provide,” said Steve Conly, worldwide president of BD Biosciences. “This collaboration unlocks a new chapter of automation for our current and future biopharma partners. By combining forces with Biosero, a trusted leader in lab automation, we will empower customers to bring their potentially life-changing therapies to market even faster.”

“Biosero’s portfolio of laboratory automation software works with flow cytometers, robotic arms, as well as mobile robots and other equipment, within one communicative ecosystem, to automate scientific protocols and boost lab productivity while reducing human error,” said Ryan Bernhardt, CEO of Biosero. “This collaboration advances our vision of making laboratory automation easy to use, scalable and adaptable for the vital work of drug discovery and development.”

The new versions of BD flow cytometer instrument software compatible with Biosero automation software for the BD FACSymphony A1 Cell Analyzer, BD FACSymphony A5 SE Cell Analyzer, and BD FACSLyric Flow Cytometry System will be available for research use in 2025 through local sales representatives. The BD FACSDiscover family of instruments is also on the roadmap for future integration.