Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Ariana Hirsh is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of molecular diagnostics, public health surveillance, and laboratory automation. She is best known for her contributions to COVID-19 testing infrastructure, particularly her development of robotic RNA extraction workflows designed to scale up SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in large populations. Her most recognized publication, "Robotic RNA Extraction for SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance Using Saliva Samples" (2021), has accumulated citations across multiple venues and addresses a critical challenge of the pandemic era: enabling high-throughput, non-invasive testing through saliva-based specimen collection combined with automated nucleic acid processing. By integrating robotics with RT-qPCR protocols, Hirsh's research helped reduce barriers to asymptomatic screening — an essential tool for containing viral spread in institutional and community settings. Her focus on eliminating manual extraction steps reflects a broader commitment to making diagnostic pipelines faster, more scalable, and accessible. Though her publication record is still emerging, her work has already drawn meaningful attention from the diagnostics and public health communities, positioning her as a contributor to the growing field of automated molecular epidemiology.