Abstract: An automated system and method for identifying agents capable of eliciting a phenotypic change in a cell-type. The method includes the steps of providing a statistical design including generic factor names, factor levels and experimental runs, and utilizing a software program to generate a computer representation of the statistical design by automatically mapping the identities of the agents to the generic factor names, concentrations or amounts of the agents to the factor levels, and the locations of the receptacles to the experimental runs.