Ginkgo Automation to design anaerobic-enabled lab system for Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center

In Massachusetts, Ginkgo Bioworks announced that Ginkgo Automation will design and deploy a flexible, anaerobic-enabled laboratory automation system for the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), a U.S. Department of Energy-funded Bioenergy Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This new system is designed to support the diverse needs of multiple investigators and research teams simultaneously, enabling GLBRC scientists to more efficiently discover and optimize synthesis of biofuels and bioproducts from plant biomass.

GLBRC’s mission involves numerous investigators tackling a variety of scientific challenges, requiring flexible and robust research infrastructure. The anaerobic-capable automation system Ginkgo Automation will develop is designed to enable GLBRC scientists to run multiple, diverse experiments at once, across both aerotolerant and anaerobic conditions, while increasing “walkaway” time—allowing investigators to spend more time interpreting data and planning the next generation of experiments rather than tending to routine laboratory tasks. By consolidating diverse experimental needs into a single, flexible system, Ginkgo Automation expects to help GLBRC advance its mission of enabling cost-effective, sustainable biofuel production at scale.