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

Landscape sign “Set up i5/i7 for 3 Sample plates 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 and also having a buddy system to cross check everything.

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.