Press release summary
Ginkgo Bioworks said Oct. 8 that it will provide National Science Foundation X-Labs research teams with in-kind access to its autonomous laboratory and protein-testing services in Boston.
The NSF X-Labs initiative is a 10-year, $1.5 billion program that uses milestone-based awards to support independent teams pursuing high-risk scientific work. Ginkgo said participating researchers will be able to submit protocols remotely, run experiments through its cloud laboratory and use services for expressing and characterizing protein designs, including candidates generated by artificial intelligence models.
The laboratory uses modular Reconfigurable Automation Carts with robotic arms, magnetic-levitation sample transport and shared Catalyst software. Ginkgo said its cloud-lab fleet includes more than 70 instruments covering sample preparation, liquid handling, storage, incubation and analytical measurement.
For laboratory readers, the contribution could give research teams access to automated wet-lab infrastructure without requiring them to build and validate equivalent facilities. It also provides a real-world test of whether shared cloud laboratories can improve reproducibility and access to advanced tools. The announcement establishes future access and services; it does not yet report completed X-Labs experiments or scientific outcomes.
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