our university lab just switched to a newer setup too. The automated sample handling alone shaved hours off the day. We used to wait forever for qPCR results, but now it's almost plug-and-play. If you’re curious, check out some of the stuff listed under
https://gentaur.co.uk/laboratory-equipment/ — they’ve got microplate washers and thermal cyclers that are way more efficient than what we used in 2020. It’s a game changer for throughput and accuracy.