On July 9, 2025, SPT Labtech announced a strategic partnership with the startup Semarion, originating from the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. This partnership will integrate SPT Labtech's firefly automated pipetting system with Semarion's SemaCyte microcarrier technology, enabling a flexible and scalable automated workflow for cell assays. This innovative collaboration will make it possible to miniaturize and automate adhesion cell assays, which have traditionally been challenging, and is expected to improve efficiency and reproducibility. It will also be adaptable to image analysis-based high-content assays such as cell painting. Semarion's CEO, Jeroen Verheyen, stated, "This partnership will create a flexible and miniaturized workflow that will significantly accelerate the drug discovery process." The two companies plan to work on developing joint protocols, generating validation data, and optimizing workflow strategies to provide researchers with more adaptable cell-based drug discovery support tools.

Firefly is being used in the Darwin Tree of Life Project conducted by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, a project aimed at generating reliable and robust open-source data that can be used for ongoing research by exploring the genetic profiles of diverse species. Please take a look at the evaluation results.

Two companies that handle automatic dispensing equipment have joined forces to expand their lineup of liquid handling products and enhance corporate value in the lab automation market. SPT Labtech Ltd., a global leading company in the design and development of automation devices and consumables in the life sciences sector (headquartered in Hertfordshire, UK, with its Japanese subsidiary SPT Labtech Japan Co., Ltd. located in Ota, Tokyo), has announced the acquisition of Apricot Designs Inc., based in Covina, California. Apricot Designs is a dispensing equipment manufacturer with over 30 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of multi-channel micro-volume dispensers and sample preparation devices. With its flagship nano-liter dispensing device utilizing positive displacement technology, SPT Labtech will be able to offer a broader range of automation solutions through the acquisition of Apricot, which is renowned for its micro-liter order 96/384 dispensing head technology using air displacement technology.

At SPT labtech, we have initiated an effort called "labtech unplugged." Through Spotify and podcasts, we share unique insights and experiences from experts and innovators in various fields on topics shaping the future of life sciences, including the latest breakthroughs, challenges, and trends.

We have launched a page where you can view webinars, posters, and papers related to each product and the companies we collaborated with. If you would like to see various use cases of our sptlabtech products or if you feel uncertain with just the specifications provided by the companies, please be sure to check it out.

PRISM BioLab selects SPT Labtech's firefly to accelerate drug discovery screening workflows.

SPT Labtech and Olink announce a new automation solution to accelerate research utilizing Olink's next-generation proteomics technology.

SPT Labtech provides a space-saving dispensing platform to more genome researchers with the mosquito Gen3.

(Introduction) The Molecular Research Institute within the historic Natural History Museum (NHM) in London is at the forefront of scientific innovation in molecular biology. By integrating advanced automation and robotics, this lab is pushing the boundaries of research and analyzing the genetic makeup of ancient species and modern ecosystems. Senior Automation Specialist and Molecular Biologist Yuen Tin Chan and Senior Molecular Biologist and Robotics Specialist Dr. Piotr Kuba shine a light on their groundbreaking work, discussing their interdisciplinary approach, custom sequencing services, and the unique challenges associated with studying historical and limited samples.