The collaboration combines robotic platforms with orchestration software to enable autonomous laboratory workflows using natural language input.
HighRes Inc and Opentrons Labworks Inc announced a partnership to develop AI agent-to-agent laboratory workflows that connect robotic platforms with orchestration software for autonomous experiment execution.
The collaboration integrates Opentrons’ Flex robotic platforms and OpentronsAI with HighRes’ FlexPod Configurable Lab Automation Platform and Cellario scheduling and orchestration software. The system enables scientists to adopt automation and scale workflows as complexity increases.
“We see Opentrons as an innovative partner that has driven democratization of lab automation through cost-effective, capable liquid handling and more accessible, agentic protocol creation,” says Ira Hoffman, CEO of HighRes, in a release. “We share that philosophy, and together we’re unlocking greater speed and access for scientists while maintaining the reliability and repeatability life science organizations demand.”
The partnership focuses on creating integrated systems where AI-driven protocols translate directly into physical execution at laboratory benches.
“This is a joint effort to rethink how automation actually gets used in real labs,” says James Atwood, CEO of Opentrons, in a release. “With HighRes, we’re creating a tightly integrated system where AI-driven intent is translated directly into reliable, physical execution at the bench.”
Live Demonstration at SLAS 2026
The companies will demonstrate the agent-to-agent workflow at SLAS 2026 in Boston from Feb 9-11. The demonstration will feature agent-to-agent orchestration using HighRes orchestration software, OpentronsAI, and the Opentrons MCP server to generate semi-automated qPCR workflows from natural-language input.
Additional features include unified digital lab experience integrating experiment planning, execution, and data management, plus scalable automation pathways extending bench-friendly robotics into orchestrated lab ecosystems.
The system creates an AI-ready operational model that unifies data, devices, and decisions through shared orchestration layers.
Both companies emphasize interoperability through open, extensible APIs and transparent system architectures. This approach enables Opentrons’ robotic platforms to operate alongside instruments from multiple vendors within HighRes’ orchestration environment.
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