Robotic labs for high-speed genetic research are on the rise

IN THE basement of Imperial College sits the London DNA Foundry. The word "foundry" calls forth images of liquid metal being poured into moulds--of the early phase of the Industrial Revolution, in other words. This foundry is, however, determinedly modern. Liquid is indeed being moved around and poured. But it is in minuscule quantities, and it is not metal. Instead, it is an aqueous suspension of the genetic codes of life. The laboratory is an example of a wider movement. Similar biofoundries a...