By Melvin Lye, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs
The preclinical CRO market is projected to reach USD 8.4 billion by 2030, driven by the rise in high-throughput studies and the demand for reproducible biomarker data in drug development.
Yet, many Contract Research Organizations (CROs) still rely on manual pipetting for antibody cocktailing, creating bottlenecks that threaten timelines and data quality.
For CROs handling high-parameter immunophenotyping (>20 colors), every additional panel amplifies the risk of pipetting errors, reagent waste, and operator fatigue. Manual prep is no longer scalable—automation has become a must-have for competitive CROs.
Traditional workflows rely heavily on centrifuge-based washing and manual antibody mastermixing. These processes create three major issues:
1. Results
2. Labor & Reagent Costs
3. Throughput Limitations
“The Pluto Workstation reduced our hands-on time by over 75% and improved replicate consistency across 20+ color panels.”
Curiox’s C-FREE™ Pluto Workstation is designed to automate antibody cocktail preparation, staining, and cell washing in one compact benchtop system. It delivers:
This approach not only accelerates sample prep but also standardizes input data for downstream AI/ML analysis—critical for CROs running complex studies for pharma clients.
| Feature | Manual Workflow | Pluto HT Automation |
|---|---|---|
|
Antibody Cocktailing |
Hand pipetting |
Automated, reproducible workflows |
|
Throughput |
Limited by staff |
96+ samples per run |
|
Cell Washing |
Centrifuge-based |
Gentle laminar wash, no spin |
|
Variability |
Operator-dependent |
Standardized protocols |
|
Regulatory Readiness |
Manual logs |
Built-in audit trails |
CROs and AI-empowered biotech like IMU Biosciences are leveraging Pluto systems to stay competitive in an increasingly complex preclinical landscape:
With increasing pressure on CROs to deliver reproducible, high-throughput, and cost-effective immunophenotyping, automation is no longer optional. By adopting Pluto, CROs can:
