Benchling Connect & Insights: End-to-end automated workflows for AI-first R&D

Scientific data is one of the most powerful assets in R&D but only when it flows freely between people, systems, and experiments. As biotechs race to deliver breakthroughs, teams are looking for ways to automate the routine and focus on discovery. Benchling’s Connect and Insights offering makes that possible with a three-pronged approach on a unified platform:

Connected labs: Benchling Connect pulls data directly from instruments and partner systems through APIs and SQL access, eliminating manual uploads and copy-paste workflows.

Scientific analyses: Benchling Insights lets scientists run analyses and visualize results right in Benchling, no exports required. 

Data automation: Save entire data flows as templates, automatically trigger them with file uploads, and link results to samples and inventory, keeping your data organized, contextualized, and AI-ready.

Since its launch in 2023, over 200 customers have adopted Connect and Insights to automate more than 100,000 data pipelines each year. With the following new capabilities debuting at Benchtalk, Benchling is building a future where every scientist works in a connected, intelligent lab.

Automation Designer: Build smarter lab workflows without writing a single line of code

A new visual way to structure your data pipeline. Automation Designer introduces a drag-and-drop interface that makes building data pipelines simple and intuitive. Scientists can design workflows that are automatically triggered by specific events while still incorporating manual, human-driven steps when needed. 

For example, instrument data flows directly into Analysis for a quick pre-check, then pauses for a manual approval. Once approved, the next series of steps kick off, connecting to another instrument and completing the full analysis flow.

This approach gives teams the best of both worlds allowing for automation where it speeds up work and human oversight where it matters most. 

Now in limited availability. 

Your workflows, your way — with Custom Code 

Custom Code brings the power of coding directly into Benchling, giving scientists and data teams unprecedented flexibility to build advanced, highly customized analysis workflows. This feature complements Benchling’s intuitive no-code interface, offering the best of both worlds: ease of use for most users, and deep extensibility for those comfortable with coding.

Users can now automate complex instrument data parsing, transform or analyze datasets with Python and R, visualize analyses and extract images from files, all without leaving the platform. With Custom Code, scientists can also reuse and share code as pipeline steps across assays and experiment types, creating consistent, repeatable workflows that save time and reduce errors. 

This combination of no-code and code-driven flexibility empowers teams to curate workflows that are both easy to manage and fully customizable — giving every scientist the freedom to work the way they want.

Now in beta. 

Experiment Optimization: Smarter experimental design, powered by ML

Wet lab scientists are generating more complex data than ever, but traditional statistics can’t always keep up, and relying on data science support for everyday analysis isn’t practical. Experiment Optimization bridges that gap by bringing machine learning directly into Benchling’s intuitive interface. Scientists can now explore large datasets, identify key variables, and predict the next best set of experimental parameters. 

By combining classical machine learning methods with Bayesian optimization, Benchling helps uncover what’s driving past experimental success and recommends new conditions to test in the next iteration. Scientists can visualize and explore multi-dimensional problems, compare conditions, and accelerate decision-making. With Experiment Optimization, Benchling makes advanced analysis accessible to every scientist, turning complex data into actionable insights.

Now in general availability 

Bring automation and insights to your lab

Curious how automation can transform your R&D? Talk to your Benchling account team or Customer Success Manager to see how Connect and Insights can simplify workflows and accelerate lab progress.