Objective Biotechnology launches robotic microinjection system to accelerate genetic research

Robotic microinjection system can accelerate medical research: ©Objective Biotechnology

Objective Biotechnology announced the commercial launch of the Autoinjector, a fully automated robotic system designed to revolutionize microinjection in genetic research. Developed in partnership with the University of Minnesota, the Autoinjector is the first of its kind to automate a traditionally labor-intensive and time-consuming process and was validated in a recent GENETICS journal study.

Microinjection is a critical step in genetic editing, used to insert DNA into embryos for research. Until now, it has required highly trained technicians to manually align and inject each embryo. The Autoinjector replaces that manual labor with computer vision and machine learning, delivering precise injections up to four times faster than human methods. It also significantly shortens technician training time, from several months to just a few weeks.

“The system has already demonstrated success in gene editing and transgenesis experiments across both insect and vertebrate models at multiple early-access sites,” said James Grabau, CEO of Objective Biotechnology. “The Autoinjector is designed to remove a stubborn and persistent bottleneck in the process of generating transgenic models in a variety of species and applications.”

According to the GENETICS study, the Autoinjector enabled the injection of more than 20,000 uniquely barcoded DNA plasmids into 1,700 Drosophila embryos over two days, yielding over 400 unique transgenic lines. It also outperformed manual techniques in zebrafish embryo vitrification and post-thaw survival.

Automation expands the frontiers of genetic research

The introduction of robotic systems like the Autoinjector represents a major advancement in genetic research infrastructure, particularly for labs engaged in high-throughput or cross-species studies. Automating microinjection not only accelerates experimental timelines but also opens doors to previously impractical experiments.

This innovation comes amid a broader push to modernize lab workflows through automation and AI. In recent years, academic and biotech labs alike have increasingly adopted robotic platforms for sample preparation, imaging, sequencing, and analysis. These tools are enabling scientists to handle larger datasets, conduct more complex experiments, and improve reproducibility—an ongoing challenge in life sciences.

In the field of genetic engineering, precision and throughput are particularly important. CRISPR-Cas9 and other genome editing tools have made it possible to modify genes with unprecedented specificity, but the surrounding laboratory processes have lagged behind. Devices like the Autoinjector aim to bridge that gap.

“The Autoinjector comes pre-loaded with injection protocols for commonly used model organisms such as Drosophila and zebrafish, and it can be fully customized for emerging or non-model species,” said Daryl Gohl, Chief Scientific Officer at Objective Biotechnology. “This flexibility makes the Autoinjector particularly valuable for labs working across multiple species, providing them with the ability to streamline both basic and applied genetic research.”

As the demand for gene-edited organisms grows in areas such as disease modeling, agriculture, and therapeutic development, tools that can accelerate foundational research are expected to play a central role in driving scientific progress.