How to Automate the Cell Splitting Process

Automating cell splitting is becoming increasingly important in cell biology as labs seek to streamline cell culture workflows and improve reproducibility. Traditionally, the process of passaging cells—essential to maintaining healthy cultures—is labor-intensive, manual, and prone to error, which can limit the efficiency and scalability of cell-based research. Automation enables labs to conduct high-throughput cell culture tasks with increased consistency and precision, ultimately accelerating advancements in cell biology and related fields.

Automation in cell splitting also addresses bottlenecks that impede progress in areas such as drug discovery, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine. With tools that automate the splitting process, labs can more easily maintain optimal cell health, culture density, and experimental conditions, all at a fraction of the time and cost required by manual methods. This shift is essential for making high-throughput cell culture more accessible, enabling small and large labs alike to carry out large-scale, iterative research and drive innovation in cell biology.

Automating Cell Splitting with Opentrons

Opentrons Flex can streamline the cell splitting process by automating critical steps such as media exchanges, cell detachment, and resuspension. With the Flex’s precise liquid handling capabilities, users can perform consistent splitting ratios while reducing contamination risks by operating under a HEPA-filtered environment. 

Automating cell splitting with Opentrons not only improves reproducibility but also reduces manual handling, making high-throughput cell culture workflows faster, safer, and more reliable.

Workflows Requiring Cell Splitting

Cell splitting is foundational across various research and experimental workflows:

1. Molecular Biology and Genetic Studies: Splitting cells ensures continuous growth for experiments in gene expression, transfection, and CRISPR-based modifications.
2. Proteomics and Biochemical Assays: To provide enough material for protein extraction and analysis, researchers maintain cell cultures by regular passaging.
3. Drug Discovery and Toxicity Testing: For consistent cellular response in bioassays, splitting is critical to keep cells in a healthy state.
4. Stem Cell and Cancer Research: In studies involving rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer or stem cells, splitting maintains cell health and prevents unwanted differentiation or mutation.

Key Challenges of Cell Splitting with Manual Pipetting

Cell splitting is challenging due to the precise care required to maintain cell health and experimental reproducibility. Factors include maintaining sterile conditions, ensuring correct splitting ratios, and balancing cell density. The main challenges of cell splitting with manual pipetting include:

1. Contamination Risk: Manual handling increases the chances of contamination by bacteria, fungi, or other unwanted microorganisms, which can ruin experiments and affect cell viability.
2. Inconsistent Splitting Ratios: Pipetting errors lead to inconsistent cell densities across samples, making it difficult to reproduce experimental results.
3. Physical Strain and Fatigue: Manual pipetting, especially in high-throughput labs, can cause repetitive strain injuries and reduce pipetting accuracy over time.
4. Cell Damage: Vigorous pipetting can physically damage delicate cells, impacting their growth, morphology, and overall health.