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What do you do at SPT Labtech?

Rodolfo Salido is a Field Application Scientist based in Southern California. He supports customers across the West Coast of the United States, including Southern California, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest, with frequent visits to the Seattle area. In his role, Rodolfo works closely with customers to demonstrate SPT Labtech instruments, support pre-sales discussions, and deliver hands-on training to ensure successful adoption of automated workflows. 

How did your path lead you here? 

Rodolfo’s background is in bioengineering, with a long-standing focus on lab automation. He completed his PhD at the University of California, San Diego, where his research centered on microbiome sequencing. His work involved designing automated pipelines to process hundreds to thousands of samples, from raw biological material through to sequencing data, while also automating sample and data tracking to support downstream analysis. 

Throughout his academic career, Rodolfo worked extensively with automation and was even an SPT Labtech customer himself, using mosquito^® platforms for miniaturized library preparation. This hands-on experience, combined with his passion for scalable and reproducible science, made the transition into a Field Application Scientist role a natural fit. 

What does a typical day look like? 

Rodolfo’s days are constantly evolving. Like many field-based roles, his week includes regular virtual check-ins with colleagues to share updates, align on projects, and exchange tips learned in the field. He also spends time answering remote customer questions, helping labs expand or adapt workflows on instruments they already own. 

A large part of his role involves visiting customer sites, supporting instrument evaluations, coordinating on-site demonstrations, and delivering training after purchase. From helping customers select the right solution to ensuring they’re confident using their new system, Rodolfo is involved at every stage of the customer journey. 

What’s the best part of your job? 

Rodolfo loves the breadth of science he gets to see. While his graduate work involved diving deeply into a single research topic, his current role allows him to explore how many different teams tackle diverse scientific challenges, often using the same technology in completely different ways. 

He’s particularly passionate about lab automation and enjoys seeing how it’s applied not just in basic research, but in translational and industry-driven applications that lead to real-world products and services. 

How are you making a difference at SPT Labtech? 

For Rodolfo, making a difference means enabling better science. By helping customers use automation effectively, he supports increased productivity, improved reproducibility, and the ability to scale experiments across sites. 

He believes that providing researchers with the right tools has a direct impact on scientific rigor and ultimately benefits everyday life through more reliable, impactful research outcomes. 

What does life outside the lab look like?