Frequently asked
questions.
Common questions about lab automation consulting, schedulers, liquid handlers, and how working together goes. Don't see yours? Get in touch.
Working together
What does a lab automation consultant do? #
I help biotech and life sciences teams plan, build, and maintain automated lab workflows. That can mean choosing and setting up a first liquid handler, writing and fixing robot protocols, connecting instruments into a workcell, or bringing an existing fleet under version control so methods stop drifting apart. You get someone who has run automation inside labs, without adding a full-time hire.
What kinds of labs do you work with? #
Teams of all sizes, from seed-stage startups to established research institutions. I've worked across biotech R&D and manufacturing, including NGS, DNA purification, protein expression, cell culture, and sample management.
Do you work with academic labs and small teams? #
Yes. Small labs often benefit the most from a few carefully selected, well-implemented projects. That can be a short advisory review before you buy equipment, a scoped project to automate one workflow, or help getting a used instrument running reliably. Every engagement starts with a proposal sized to your budget. And if a paid project isn't the right fit right now, my open-source tools are a free way for your lab to start thinking about automation.
We don't have any automation yet. Can you help? #
Absolutely. Starting from an empty bench is a good place to be, because everything can be planned to fit together from day one. I've been the first automation hire and built a platform from nothing to many liquid handlers running hundreds of orders per week. A first project usually covers which workflow to automate first, which instruments fit it, and how to size the setup so it can grow.
How does an engagement work? #
We start with your science: assays, throughput targets, existing equipment, and constraints. We'll cover your goals and pain points, and then you get a written proposal covering platforms, scope, timeline, and cost before any work starts. I can build and test in simulation so your current work is not disrupted, and test on your real workflows so you can be sure everything works as expected. Each project comes with documentation and training so your team can run it. Engagements can be a fixed project, a longer embedded role, or short-term advisory work. See Process for details.
How much does lab automation consulting cost? #
It depends on scope, so every engagement starts with a proposal that lays out the cost before you commit. Short advisory reviews cost far less than a full workcell build. The quickest way to get a sense of it is a 30-minute call about what you're trying to do.
Where are you based? Do you work remotely? #
Tellurion Automation is based in Emeryville, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. I support labs anywhere, remotely or on site. On-site work outside the Bay Area is billed with travel and lodging.
Schedulers and instrument integration
Which lab automation schedulers do you work with? #
I've worked with Green Button Go, Genera, and Momentum, including system integration and scheduling with Green Button Go on the DARPA mobile vaccine manufacturing program at Moderna. I'm vendor-neutral, so I can help you get more out of the scheduler you have or compare options before you buy one.
How do I choose a lab automation scheduler? #
Start from the workflow, not the software. The questions that matter most: Does it have reliable drivers for the instruments you own and plan to buy? Can it pass data to your LIMS or data pipeline without manual steps? Can scripts or other software start runs and read results through an API? Who on your team will maintain the processes, and how hard is that day to day? And what do licensing and vendor support cost over several years? I offer platform selection reviews if you'd like an independent opinion before committing budget.
Can you connect instruments from different manufacturers? #
Yes. I connect liquid handlers, plate readers, incubators, and other instruments into reliable workflows, using vendor schedulers or custom Python drivers where needed. The goal is instruments from different manufacturers working together, and with your LIMS, without manual handoffs.
Can our own software or AI agents run lab automation? #
Yes, if the automation underneath is built for it. I build the instrument control, scheduling, and data capture layer with documented interfaces, so scripts, internal tools, or AI agents can queue runs, monitor them, and get results back safely. That layer is what makes an autonomous or self-driving lab practical.
Liquid handlers and software
Which liquid handlers do you work with? #
My workhorses are Hamilton STAR and Vantage, Opentrons OT-2 and Flex, Tecan Evo, and Beckman Biomek. I also have experience with over a dozen other instrument platforms.
Do you work with PyLabRobot? #
Yes. PyLabRobot is an open-source Python library for controlling liquid handlers and other lab equipment from different manufacturers. I can help you decide whether it fits your lab or vendor software is the better choice, and build or maintain methods in either.
How do you keep liquid handler methods under version control? #
Methods live in Git, and each instrument is pinned to a tagged version so you always know what's running where. I built repo-sync, a free, open-source tool that syncs every instrument to its assigned version and flags anything edited on the instrument before a run starts. The repo-sync post walks through the approach.
Will my team be able to maintain what you build? #
Yes! Everything is thoroughly documented through the entire process, and each engagement ends with training so your team can run, fix, and extend the work after I'm gone. My goal is making sure everyone can move on to their next project with confidence.