Opentrons Integration — Lab Automation

Overview

Opentrons provides a Python-based Protocol API (v2) for programming OT-2 and Flex liquid handling robots. Protocols are structured Python files with metadata and a run() function that controls pipettes, labware, and hardware modules. All protocols can be simulated locally before running on physical hardware.

When to Use

• Automating liquid handling workflows (pipetting, mixing, distributing)
• Writing PCR setup protocols with thermocycler control
• Performing serial dilutions across plates
• Replicating plates or reformatting between plate types
• Controlling hardware modules (temperature, magnetic, heater-shaker, thermocycler)
• Setting up multi-channel pipetting for 96-well plate operations
• Simulating protocols before running on the robot
• For multi-vendor automation (Hamilton, Beckman, etc.), use pylabrobot instead
• For flow cytometry analysis of automated experiment results, use flowio/flowkit

Prerequisites