Lab Automation & Digitalization

At BIIE, we tackle some of the hardest challenges in immune engineering — questions that demand more experiments, richer data, and faster iteration than traditional approaches can deliver. Developing impactful solutions for child and adolescent health requires us to explore immune systems at a scale that matches their complexity.

Our Lab Automation and Digitalization team makes that scale achievable. We combine robotics with connected data systems to turn complex workflows into reliable, high-throughput engines of discovery. Instead of spending hours on repetitive tasks or chasing fragmented results, researchers benefit from experiments that run automatically, consistently, and with trustworthy digital records.

We build the automated workflows and the data infrastructure that keep information flowing smoothly: robotic instruments generate structured outputs, Benchling captures and standardizes the data, and downstream tools transform it into insights. Every dataset meets the FAIR requirements — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.

By uniting autonomous experimentation with intelligent data capture, we give BIIE scientists the ability to ask bigger questions and pursue more ambitious ideas. Our mission is to capture more data with less effort, fueling discovery in immune engineering for the benefit of children and adolescents worldwide.

Oskari Vinko operating an OT-2 liquid handler as it performs automated sample preparation
Oskari Vinko operating an OT-2 liquid handler as it performs automated sample preparation.

Research Focus

We support BIIE’s scientific progress through three key areas:

Physical Automation:

  • Transform manual experiments into fully automated, scalable workflows

  • Program liquid handlers, robotic arms, and instruments for high-throughput, reproducible operation

  • Miniaturize and optimize processes to increase experimental depth while reducing resource use

Digitalization & Data Automation:

  • Design and maintain Benchling data models that standardize how research and operational data are captured

  • Build integrations that connect instruments, software, and analysis tools into seamless data flows

  • Ensure that experimental data is consistently structured, traceable, and ready for downstream insight

  • Train BIIE researchers in Benchling best practices

Strategic Consulting & Enablement:

  • Collaborate early with research teams to identify high-impact automation and digitalization opportunities

  • Evaluate technologies that boost throughput, improve data quality, and accelerate iteration

  • Develop and promote institute-wide standards that make scaling experiments and data ecosystems easier for everyone

Team – Lab Automation & Digitalization

Oskari Vinko

Oskari Vinko

Automation Manager / Unit Lead

Cora Wiesner

Cora Wiesner

Automation Scientist
Valerijs Korotkovs

Valerijs Korotkovs

Automation Engineer