ABB Robotics and the University of Texas Medical Branch's (UTMB) Life Sciences and Healthcare Lab have joined forces to create an innovative solution in the fight against COVID-19. The collaboration has resulted in the development of an automated neutralizing antibody testing system that can significantly increase the number of daily tests performed, providing valuable data on individual immunity profiles and helping to control the spread of the virus.

The robotic system, capable of determining an individual's immunity to various strains of COVID-19, can perform over 1,000 neutralizing antibody tests daily, a significant increase from the previous capacity of just 15 tests per day. This remarkable achievement not only enhances the efficiency of testing but also reduces the potential risk of infection for laboratory staff involved in manual testing.

Dr. Michael Laposata, professor and chairman of the department of Pathology at UTMB, emphasized the importance of increasing daily tests to generate more data on individual immunity profiles, which in turn will help control the further spread of the virus. The automated system developed with ABB offers an accurate, fast, flexible, and safe solution for achieving this goal.

The increased number of daily tests can also help UTMB researchers better understand the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, as the virus's many combined mutations have made it challenging to determine the most effective protection for each variant. The system aims to detect the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody without cross-reaction with other infections, providing valuable data for researchers and local policymakers to make informed decisions on minimizing the risk of further spreading the virus.

Daniel Navarro, Managing Director of Consumer Segments and Service Robotics at ABB, highlighted the importance of robotics in increasing speed and efficiency while making work safer for researchers involved in the project. The collaboration between ABB and UTMB has resulted in a cutting-edge robotic solution that significantly advances and informs our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABB utilized its RobotStudio offline programming software to model, iterate, and test different combinations of lab equipment and robot positions to develop the system. The entire process, from inception to operation, took just 18 months, demonstrating the remarkable potential of robotics and automation in addressing pressing global challenges.

Juan Garcia, director of Laboratory Services at UTMB, expressed his amazement at the accomplishments of the project within such a short timeframe, noting that many multimillion-dollar companies take several years to create solutions like the one developed by ABB and UTMB in a fraction of the time.

The development of this automated COVID-19 antibody testing system showcases the power of collaboration between robotics companies and medical research institutions, offering hope for a more efficient and safer approach to combating the pandemic. For those interested in robot jobs or looking to hire a robot worker, this project serves as an inspiration for the potential of robotics in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges.