BIOTECHNOLOGY
to be able to deliver products to market at scale. However, the environment that cells grow in requires very high levels of accuracy, with reproducibility and close control being critical parts of the process. Tis means enabling mass production is a challenge, as human error and contamination are both a risk when throughput needs to be increased. Tis is where automation and robotics can play an important role. Scientists are talented, skilled individuals, but it can be impossible to manually keep up with both the pace and quality needed to scale development. With automation, it’s possible to run assays faster and for longer than scientists can, by using remote management to run assays through the night for example. Tis increases throughput and allows scientists to carry out R&D in other areas. With automation, scientists can also
Automation will provide
flexibility for labs looking to scale-up gene editing
be more confident in the accuracy of their results and draw conclusions faster. Automated processes do the same thing, the same way with the same results, and developments to cell growth and editing can be made with certainty that all other variables are controlled. Leading cell culture companies are looking to distribute novel products to market at pace, and automation can be a powerful tool to bring a product from R&D to mass production faster, giving companies a competitive edge.
EMBRACING CHANGE AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING
from carrying out research. Tis is because it can be a challenge for organisations to know if the right regulatory framework is in place for research and development (R&D) where easy growing and mass production of cells is required – especially when they need to be tested with humans. If passed, this bill will provide the beginning of more structured regulatory framework that will support the growth of precision bred plants and animals and potentially attract investment into agri-food innovation in the UK. However, there is still the challenge of being able to scale production to a level that will make these products widely available across the UK and allow us to reap the full benefits of gene editing.
THE ABILITY TO DELIVER AT SCALE For the synthetic plants and meat industry to develop and grow, organisations need
Another challenge to scaling genetically edited products is the culture change
required to embrace automation. Although automation is often used at the R&D stage of projects, applying it to more areas and using it to scale production may be new to many organisations and teams – and a mindset that embraces change and evolution in the lab space is critical. One way to address this is with a focus on training for lab scientists, to help them understand the benefits of automating processes. It’s also important to start small, encourage uptake of new technology and then expand – rather than transforming an entire lab overnight. Tis is where modular automation systems can be useful – as they can be scaled up – or down – where required in a lab, both to meet demand from scientists and to match the physical space and layout.
Tough this bill is still under debate, it
is important to recognise that automation is likely to be an essential tool in scaling gene editing for any purpose. Te flexibility and agility it provides will be critical to helping labs maintain the control and accuracy required to grow cells while still leaving room for company growth. Empowering scientists by remoting the burden of repetitive tasks and focusing on automating workflows will prepare UK labs to face the issues of scale and bring their innovative projects to market.
Sonia Jassi is Drug Discovery and Synthetic Biology Lead at Automata.
www.automata.tech
Gene editing can help
produce crops that are resistant to disease
www.scientistlive.com 33
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