Apparatus and method for animal cell colonies

A method for automated picking of animal cell colonies using an apparatus, the method comprising: a) providing a recording head (18) comprising a plurality of hollow needles (26), wherein the recording head using positioning motors (20, 22, 24) can be moved over the device, b) placing a sample container (13) which includes a plurality (of held in a medium animal cell colonies 74) and a dispensing container (29) on the device, c) using an image recognition (40) and image processing (90), to identify sites of animal cell colonies in said sample, d) moving the recording head over the sample container, e) picking an animal cell colony by aligning one of the hollow needles at one of the locations of the animal cell colonies, insertion of a distal end of the hollow needle into the medium, and aspirating the animal cell colony at that location into the hollow needle and f) depositing the picked animal cell colony by moving the recording head on the dispensing container and ...