A sample processing system includes a sample carrier support configured to concurrently support multiple sample carriers in series, each sample carries carrying a respective sample to be processed. The apparatus also includes a plurality of processing stations located at different positions along the sample carry support, each processing station configured to perform a different processing act of a plurality of processing acts to be performed on each sample. The apparatus further includes a support mover that moves the sample support and hence the sample carriers sequentially from processing station to processing station for processing.