MilliporeSigma, Opentrons to automate assay kitsMilliporeSigma, Opentrons to automate assay kits

Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) MilliporeSigma, the life-sciences division of Merck KGaA, will use Opentrons’ Flex workstation to automate assay kits.  

According to the firm, the platform will reduce manual processing and repetitive tasks with a user-friendly robotic system. The workstations will be available to the Germany-based company’s customers from mid-2025. 

“We provide products that meet the standards. All Merck kits are validated for performance – customers will now be able to leverage these kits on the Opentrons platform with protocols that have been tested to perform at or better than all published kit specifications,” a spokesperson for MilliporeSigma said. 

According to the firm, Opentrons’ Flex workstation is adaptable to many types of workflows for assays and sample preparation. It has access to the Opentrons’ library of open protocols and will come with access to exclusive protocols verified for reproducibility using a selection of Merck’s broad portfolio of assay kits and reagents. The workstation can be easily integrated into the lab – just plug it in, connect it to internet and you are ready to run your assays. 

The workstation will form part of MilliporeSigma's extended toolbelt including Millicell DCI digital cell imager that enables accelerated cell-culture analysis and a suite of digital chemistry products that includes ChemisTwin, Synthia, and Aiddison. This arsenal of equipment aims at digitalizing and supporting what MilliporeSigma describes as the “lab of the future.”

“This partnership combines the automation expertise and service excellence of Opentrons with the powerful R&D, supply chain, and quality systems of Merck, allowing customers a simplified path to acquire both the instrument and kits from a single, trusted source,” the spokesperson added. 

The specific terms of this partnership were not disclosed. 

In other news, Merck KGaA has expanded its Peenya facility in Bengaluru, Karnataka adding an additional 50,000 square-foot. The facility, specializing in manufacturing standard tangential flow filtration (TFF) and chromatography purification systems, was established in 1986. It was fully acquired by the company in 2010, and hosts M Lab Collaboration Center and BioReliance Services. According to the firm, this expansion will solidify Merck’s position in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.