[DavidPBL]

My bad! We are engineering our microorganisms which means we are assembling DNA parts into plasmids which are used to deliver the DNA into the host. So there is the design and then the actual build part before the actual testing.

Depending on what you want to do you build a different style of plasmid. If its genetic modification (ex. using CRISPR) you use one type, if it's testing a new pathway, you build another. You use software to help with the design of everything and to define and explore the solution space.

To make it high throughput we usually test things using in vitro (cell-free systems) before actually moving into the host. In vitro work has a faster DBTL cycle than in vivo work. We test strains in smaller experiments (20-100 ml) before moving to bioreactors (1-2L).

We would like to automate more and build a more robust R&D pipeline to support faster DBTL cycles, but you can be limited by the epuipment available. Doing highthroughput automated work is great for productivity, but it costs more. So has been challenging to implement everywhere we would like due to resources.

[tptacek]

Thanks! This is great stuff. Best of luck to all of you!