A method for locating and selecting a colony of microorganisms on a culture dish and preparing a single sample suspension with the selected colony for multiple assays, wherein the method comprises the automated steps of: locating and selecting a colony of microorganisms on a culture dish; obtaining a sample of the selected colony of microorganisms; transferring the obtained sample into a container having an amount of a suspension medium, the container adapted to be received by a nephelometer wherein a sample suspension is prepared by transferring at least a portion of the obtained sample into the suspension medium using a first robotic pick tool wherein the first robotic pick tool conveys a pick tool carrying the obtained sample from the culture dish to the container, further comprising raising the pick tool from a surface of the culture dish using the first robotic pick tool and monitoring the pick tool as it is raised from the surface of the culture dish to detect formation of a string of sample extending from the pick tool, wherein the pick tool is a pipette tip; obtaining a first aliquot of the prepared suspension; dispensing the first aliquot of the prepared suspension on a receptacle for a first assay; transferring the first assay receptacle with the sample to an apparatus for performing mass spectrometry for identification of the sample of the selected colony of microorganisms; determining if a measured turbidity of the suspension is within a predetermined specification for a second assay using an automated nephelometer, and, if within specification, determining a dispense volume for the second assay based on the measured turbidity and; inoculating a sample container for the second assay with the suspension if the suspension is determined to be within specification; wherein, if the suspension is determined not to be within specification for use in the second assay without dilution, adjusting the turbidity of the suspension to a turbidity within the predetermined specification suitable for the second assay prior to inoculating the second assay container with a determined dispense volume based on the turbidity of the suspension; obtaining an aliquot of the suspension in the second assay container; and inoculating a receptacle for the second assay with the adjusted suspension; wherein the mass spectrometry is done by MALDI and wherein the method further comprises the automated step of overlaying a drop of a MALDI matrix solution on the drop of sample suspension deposited on the receptacle for the first assay wherein the receptacle is a target plate and wherein the second assay is antibiotic susceptibility test and the second assay receptacle is an AST panel. locating and selecting a colony of microorganisms on a culture dish; obtaining a sample of the selected colony of microorganisms; transferring the obtained sample into a container having an amount of a suspension medium, the container adapted to be received by a nephelometer wherein a sample suspension is prepared by transferring at least a portion of the obtained sample into the suspension medium using a first robotic pick tool wherein the first robotic pick tool conveys a pick tool carrying the obtained sample from the culture dish to the container, further comprising raising the pick tool from a surface of the culture dish using the first robotic pick tool and monitoring the pick tool as it is raised from the surface of the culture dish to detect formation of a string of sample extending from the pick tool, wherein the pick tool is a pipette tip; obtaining a first aliquot of the prepared suspension; dispensing the first aliquot of the prepared suspension on a receptacle for a first assay; transferring the first assay receptacle with the sample to an apparatus for performing mass spectrometry for identification of the sample of the selected colony of microorganisms; determining if a measured turbidity of the suspension is within a predetermined specification for a second assay using an automated nephelometer, and, if within specification, determining a dispense volume for the second assay based on the measured turbidity and; inoculating a sample container for the second assay with the suspension if the suspension is determined to be within specification; wherein, if the suspension is determined not to be within specification for use in the second assay without dilution, adjusting the turbidity of the suspension to a turbidity within the predetermined specification suitable for the second assay prior to inoculating the second assay container with a determined dispense volume based on the turbidity of the suspension; obtaining an aliquot of the suspension in the second assay container; and inoculating a receptacle for the second assay with the adjusted suspension; wherein the mass spectrometry is done by MALDI and wherein the method further comprises the automated step of overlaying a drop of a MALDI matrix solution on the drop of sample suspension deposited on the receptacle for the first assay wherein the receptacle is a target plate and wherein the second assay is antibiotic susceptibility test and the second assay receptacle is an AST panel.