Much of tobacco and smoke research comprises repetitive implementations of standardized methodologies and/or the appropriation of well-defined technologies to novel requirements.

Additionally, regulatory compliance is now an undeniable feature of the industry and is recognized as being of huge import moving forwards.

Laboratory automation is therefore key to both challenges; If a task is completed by robotic means, both the actions and the data trail is viewed by regulators in a different (and usually more positive) light than by equivalent manual methods.

Topics discussed will include the challenges of different method types typified by examples of extraction/concentration vs ‘smoke & report’ investigations; How automation can be used to ease ratifcation of the requirements of 21CFR11 and similar rationales; Considerations of approaches to verification dynamics; and how to ensure ‘quality data’ with associated considerations for long term storage and accessibility.