Until recently, the conversation about “AI in the lab” was mainly focused on natural language search. However, new trends in AI are taking everything to the next level, so the QLIMS team thought: why not laboratories?
We’re excited to announce a major addition to Sophia AI, the agentic AI built into QLIMS: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is now available.
MCP is an open standard, created by Anthropic, for connecting AI to the tools and systems it works with. It acts like a universal “USB-C port” for connecting artificial intelligence models to external data sources, tools, and workflows. In practice, it’s what turns Sophia from an assistant that tells you things into an agent that does things, acting directly and securely inside your lab environment.
The integration of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) into QLIMS marks a major shift for laboratory informatics. By connecting QLIMS directly to AI agent architectures, OnQ Software enables true Lab-in-the-Loop workflows and sets the foundation for fully autonomous scientific labs.
From Search to Action
For most of the labs, “AI” still refers to asking a question and getting an answer, however, labs need more than getting answers. Imagine that you could ask your AI assistant to create the samples for you, and Sophia AI goes even beyond it with reading your attached handwritten notes.
With MCP integration, Sophia now can perform real laboratory actions on your behalf, right from a conversation.
What Sophia Can Now Do
Through MCP, Sophia can act across the entire lab workflow:
- Sample & Order Management: Create and manage orders (batches) and samples from scratch, or directly from documents/OCR (Optical Character Recognition) input.
- Analytical Management: Create, approve, and duplicate methods and sample types.
- Inventory Control: Register new materials, track physical containers, and record reagent consumption.
- Instrumentation: Monitor hardware health and decommission faulty instruments.
- Execution & Worklists: Build batch runs (worklists), assign samples to positions, and enter test results in bulk.
- Compliance & Audit: Manage OOS (Out-of-Specification) investigations and retrieve full audit trails for any record.
Security is one of the biggest topics we’re asked about in demos, and in evaluations. Sophia’s ability to act is built on the same security and governance model that already protects your lab in QLIMS.
Curious what Sophia could do in your lab? Step into the laboratory of the future today and contact us for a personalised walkthrough. Every lab is different, and we’d love to show you how Sophia adapts to yours.
