An automated rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing system for performing a multi-assay testing sequence, the system comprising: an automated incubation assembly comprising a nest assembly adapted to i) house at least one test panel having a plurality of wells for receiving a sample comprising microorganisms originating from a clinical sample, the incubation assembly facilitating incubation of one or more test panels in order to undergo the multi-assay testing sequence; a robotic handling assembly configured to accept one or more incoming test panels and move them to and from the incubation assembly for incubation between each assay of the multi-assay testing sequence; an automated liquid handling assembly configured to exchange one or more fluids in the plurality of wells of the test panels , wherein the automated liquid handling assembly comprises a liquid addition system and an aspiration system ; and an optical assembly for interrogation and readout of each assay of the multi-assay testing sequence being performed in the plurality of wells , characterised in that the automated rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing system comprises a sample separation assembly configured to separate microorganisms from a remainder of the sample within the wells of the test panel , thereby forming a pellet of the microorganisms within each of the plurality of the wells of the test panel , wherein the sample separation assembly comprises a centrifugation system , and in that the automated aspiration system is controlled to remove fluid from a portion of a well of the test panel that is away from the pellet formed by the sample separation system based on an expected location of the pellet, and in that the incubation assembly is configured to agitate the test panel during incubation. an automated incubation assembly comprising a nest assembly adapted to i) house at least one test panel having a plurality of wells for receiving a sample comprising microorganisms originating from a clinical sample, the incubation assembly facilitating incubation of one or more test panels in order to undergo the multi-assay testing sequence; a robotic handling assembly configured to accept one or more incoming test panels and move them to and from the incubation assembly for incubation between each assay of the multi-assay testing sequence; an automated liquid handling assembly configured to exchange one or more fluids in the plurality of wells of the test panels , wherein the automated liquid handling assembly comprises a liquid addition system and an aspiration system ; and an optical assembly for interrogation and readout of each assay of the multi-assay testing sequence being performed in the plurality of wells , characterised in that the automated rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing system comprises a sample separation assembly configured to separate microorganisms from a remainder of the sample within the wells of the test panel , thereby forming a pellet of the microorganisms within each of the plurality of the wells of the test panel , wherein the sample separation assembly comprises a centrifugation system , and in that the automated aspiration system is controlled to remove fluid from a portion of a well of the test panel that is away from the pellet formed by the sample separation system based on an expected location of the pellet, and in that the incubation assembly is configured to agitate the test panel during incubation. <EOS>