Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.

Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 6 occupations and seen in 26 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Prepare specimens or materials for testing. in Handling and Moving Objects .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 26 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 4 (15%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

The Anthropic Economic Index observes real AI use on 1 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.005% per task.

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Arrange and attach chromosomes in numbered pairs on karyotype charts, using standard genetics laboratory practices and nomenclature, to identify normal or abnormal chromosomes. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 5.0 · exposure with tools
• Embed tissue specimens into paraffin wax blocks, or infiltrate tissue specimens with wax. · Histology Technicians · importance 5.0 · no direct exposure
• Mount tissue specimens on glass slides. · Histology Technicians · importance 5.0 · no direct exposure
• Stain tissue specimens with dyes or other chemicals to make cell details visible under microscopes. · Histology Technicians · importance 4.9 · exposure with tools
• Embed tissue specimens into paraffin wax blocks, or infiltrate tissue specimens with wax. · Histotechnologists · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Prepare and analyze samples, such as Papanicolaou (PAP) smear body fluids and fine needle aspirations (FNAs), to detect abnormal conditions. · Cytotechnologists · importance 4.9 · exposure with tools
• Prepare biological specimens such as amniotic fluids, bone marrow, tumors, chorionic villi, and blood, for chromosome examinations. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Select or prepare specimens and media for cell cultures using aseptic techniques, knowledge of medium components, or cell nutritional requirements. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Prepare slides of cell cultures following standard procedures. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis. · Surgical Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Extract, measure, dilute as appropriate, label, and prepare DNA for array analysis. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Stain tissue specimens with dyes or other chemicals to make cell details visible under microscopes. · Histotechnologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals. · Phlebotomists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Stain slides to make chromosomes visible for microscopy. · Cytogenetic Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Select and prepare specimens and media for cell cultures, using aseptic technique and knowledge of medium components and cell requirements. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Prepare standard volumetric solutions or reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Obtain, cut, stain, and mount biological material on slides for microscopic study and diagnosis, following standard laboratory procedures. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Cultivate, isolate, or assist in identifying microbial organisms or perform various tests on these microorganisms. · Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. · Veterinary Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Add radioactive substances to biological specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, to determine therapeutic drug or hormone levels. · Nuclear Medicine Technologists · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Prepare cell samples by applying special staining techniques, such as chromosomal staining, to differentiate cells or cell components. · Cytotechnologists · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Freeze tissue specimens. · Histology Technicians · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Prepare or use prepared tissue specimens for teaching, research or diagnostic purposes. · Histotechnologists · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Perform procedures associated with histochemistry to prepare specimens for immunofluorescence or microscopy. · Histotechnologists · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Cytogenetic Technologists
• Histology Technicians
• Phlebotomists
• Surgical Technologists
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-prepare-biological-specimens-for-laboratory-analysis,
  title  = {Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/prepare-biological-specimens-for-laboratory-analysis}
}