Operating instructions for a Biomek robot used at a COVID-19 testing centre

Portrait sign “QC Run on BIOMEK i5 & i7” with red and black printed instructions displayed at Cambridge COVID-19 Test Centre, based at the Anne McLaren Building on the University of Cambridge Biomedical Campus, April 2020 - April 2021

14 robots speeded up the testing rate by six times at the Cambridge COVID-19 Test Centre. The Biomek i5 and i7 are automated workstations to handle high amounts of samples. New software instructions, specific to COVID-19, were needed. The instructions give a list of everything someone would need to carry out their role as well as things to look out for and when to alert another member of staff.

Delivered in just five weeks rather than the normal six month fit out for a testing laboratory the Cambridge COVID-19 Test Centre tested 3 million samples during its year of operation. The Test Centre was originally a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca and GSK, staffed by volunteers from the three sites, many of leaving their studies or roles for a few months, or taking on additional jobs. Volunteers worked in shift patterns in the same role to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In June 2020, the testing centre transition to a directly employed workforce, rather than relying on volunteers. The laboratory was run by Charles River Laboratories with 200 staff.