Accelerating Microbial Research for the Bioeconomy with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Accelerating Microbial Research for the Bioeconomy with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Ginkgo Bioworks has announced a new partnership with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to advance fundamental biological research supporting the U.S. bioeconomy. Ginkgo was selected to deliver a state-of-the-art automated anaerobic phenotyping platform at PNNL’s Richland, Washington campus.

This $4.66 million contract involves the construction and installation of a fully integrated workcell, which includes 18 different devices housed within a modular anaerobic chamber. The system was designed in partnership with EMSL and utilizes Ginkgo’s Tiles technology. The system is a modular and extensible automation solution engineered to enhance laboratory throughput, efficiency, and data quality while remaining extremely low-touch.

The platform is a comprehensive solution specifically for remotely operating automated anaerobic phenotyping workflows using a diverse mix of instruments physically located at EMSL. The system is intended to enable EMSL scientists and facility users to remotely operate complex, end-to-end anaerobic phenotyping workflows. This capability empowers researchers to move towards fully autonomous science workflows, accelerating the discovery and characterization of new biological phenomena. The new platform is expected to be fully operational later this year, supporting critical work in microbial engineering and biodesign.

Key Points:

• Modular Anaerobic Automation: The platform comprises 18 devices within a modular anaerobic chamber, enabling safe, high-throughput experimentation for bioconomy-relevant microbes
• Technology for Remote Operation: The system uses Ginkgo's support technology to allow EMSL scientists and users to remotely operate complex end-to-end workflows
• Accelerating Bioeconomy Research: This $4.66M purchase marks a significant step in EMSL’s mission to advance biological research, supporting U.S. energy production, and ensuring leadership in the bioeconomy.