Explore the future of lab automation in our latest MestreCast episode, “Automating a Lab – Learning from My Mistakes.” Santi Dominguez engages with John Hollerton, Senior Scientific Director at Mestrelab, who recounts his pioneering work in automating analytical processes within pharmaceutical discovery and development. John reflects on his early endeavors at Glaxo, where his drive to avoid repetitive tasks led him to automate UV spectra analysis, demonstrating that necessity is indeed the mother of invention. This episode immerses into the critical need for automation in today’s high-throughput analytical labs, emphasizing standardization, process reevaluation, and the significant role of AI in enhancing decision-making and information extraction. Through John’s narrative, listeners will gain insights into integrating automation effectively, sidestepping common pitfalls, and harnessing technology for substantial progress.