PubMed · 2026-02-19
Researchers created BOTany Methods, a free toolkit of automated lab protocols for small robots that lets plant scientists run complex genetic experiments without needing coding skills or expensive equipment.
The BOTany Methods toolkit runs on Opentrons OT-2 robots, which are significantly cheaper than full biofoundry setups, lowering the barrier to lab automation for plant research.
The workflow covers a wide range of tasks — from simple primer dilution and PCR setup to complex operations like Plant Modular Cloning and bacterial transformation — all without requiring users to write or edit Python code.
The system supports users across all training levels, from undergraduate students to senior scientists, using table-based inputs to design and run custom experiments end-to-end.