Robots run this laboratory in Japan — and are changing how scientists work

Laboratory robots with built-in artificial-intelligence software can look after stem-cell cultures independently. Credit: Masatoshi Okauchi/Shutterstock In a biology laboratory in Tokyo, ten robots conduct experiments, using their two arms to handle liquids, grow cells on plates and operate scientific instruments, among other basic tasks. The Robotics Innovation Center at the Institute of Science Tokyo opened its automated laboratory in April. …