Technical Feasibility, Modelling and Control of a Fully-Automated Cancer Research Service

在英国出生的每两个人中就有一个会在一生中被诊断出患有癌症。实验室研究发展了我们对这种疾病的认识，并确定了新的治疗方法。然而，由于癌症的多样性和人类生物学的复杂性，癌症研究本质上是复杂的。此外，尖端的实验室设备和日常材料也非常昂贵，建立一个新实验室的成本高达50万英镑。在这些挑战之上，据报道，多达89%的已发表的研究结果可能是不可靠的（Begley & Ellis, Nature 2012）。自动化的应用提供了加速、节约和提高癌症研究标准的潜力，从而带来更快、更便宜和更可靠的更好的治疗。我们正在启动一个全自动实验室，全世界的癌症研究人员都可以使用它进行精确、可重复和高效的研究，同时可以自由地思考、学习、假设和设计新的治疗方法。“创新英国”（Innovate UK）的资金对创业公司至关重要。资金将用于完成机器人系统的最终设计和技术规范，并将这种变革性的新服务更快地变为现实，以造福社会和经济。

One in two people born in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer during their life. Laboratory research develops our understanding of this disease and identifies new cures and treatments. Cancer research, however, is intrinsically complicated due to the diverse nature of the disease and the complexity of human biology. Additionally, cutting-edge laboratory equipment and the daily materials are also staggeringly expensive, costing upward of £500,000 to establish a new laboratory. On top of these challenges, is has been reported that as much as 89% of published findings may be unreliable (Begley & Ellis, Nature 2012). The application of automation offers the potential to accelerate, economise and improve the standards of cancer research, leading to better treatments faster and cheaper and more reliably. We're launching a fully-automated laboratory that cancer researchers worldwide can access to conduct precise, reproducible and efficient research, whilst being freed to think, learn, hypothesise and devise new cures. Innovate UK funding makes a critical difference to pioneering companies. Funding will be applied to complete the final design and technical specifications of the robotic system and bring this transformational new service into reality quicker, for the benefits of society and economy.