Computer Aided Biology Platform Helps Companies Meet the Challenges of 21st Century Biomanufacturing

In this podcast, we interviewed Markus Gershater, Chief Scientific Officer with Synthace about computer aided biology and how it addresses several common biomanufacturing challenges. We also discussed ways to build a common culture between science and software.
I began the inteview by asking Mr. Gershater to describe the concept of Bioprocessing 4.0 and what it means to the industry. Markus explained that the term 4.0 refers to the industrial revolutions that have happened throughout history. The first began when steam was introduced as a power source, next came electrification and the production line. 3.0 refers to the incorporation of automation and 4.0 is the connection of different devices and automation through digital technology. This involves cloud computing that enables data storage, computing and analysis. This is particularly important in a complex industry like bioprocessing that requires sophisticated knowledge and control. Bioprocessing 4.0 will enable the industry to progress to the next level.
Next I asked Markus to explain the solutions that Synthace provides in this area. He described how Synthace started as a bioprocessing company that was looking for a way to conduct more sophisticated, automated experiments. The result was the creation of their software Antha, which can auto generate instructions for biological protocols. This means that scientists can specify the protocol they want to run and Antha will works out all the details down to the every step of the run. It then converts those detailed actions into scripts for each automated device to run the protocol. The user hits go and the robot will run the specified protocol with the instructions that Antha generated. This automatic generation of scripts makes automation more user friendly and powerful. In particular, there is a problem with lab automation due to the complexity of programing it. Antha is able to make complex lab automation implementable.
Markus goes on to say that the beneficial knock on effect is digital integration. The devices used in protocol automation are only a small part; there are also analytical devices that produce data. What is needed is a way of structuring data from all of these diverse pieces of equipment. Since Antha generates all the detailed instructions that go on into a particular protocol, it also has the detailed structure of the experiments. So at the end of any chain of actions, Antha can provide the provenance of all data points. Thus, it can also auto structure data into the context of experimental design.
As the industry runs more complex and high throughput experiments, the bottleneck shifts to data structuring. Antha has become a tool that allows the automation of lab processes as well as the data processing from those lab processes. This permits dynamic updating as the structure of the experiment updates.
We then discussed the technology behind the product. Markus explained that first step in getting started is to identify a specific protocol. Then, for example, Antha specifies samples that need to be diluted and provides a framework with specific parameters. Next, you need to look conceptually at how you can move liquids around to fulfill this design. What equipment do you need to run and what consumables? Once you have those, Antha can generate the lower level tedious details. This allows users to change one detail of the experiment and Antha will calculate a new set of instructions. Antha can then pass these specific instructions to devices through the Antha hub, which communicates with the equipment. Once users are satisfied that the equipment has been set up properly then they can hit go and the experiment will run.
I asked if there were any case studies that could be shared to show how this would work in a real life setting. He described how their case studies range from programming relatively simple workflows like automating ELISA assays to extremely complex experime...