The 1st Work Package aims at developing the industrial version of the Genemat system (GM4). During this 1st year, we evaluated and selected the best partner through a call for tender. The initial steps of the workplan were performed: (i) refining the specifications and identifying the key functions, (ii) building a set of breadboards for testing technologies for each of the key functions and downselecting the best, (iii) designing and building a prototype for testing all the elements integrated together. A subset of these key functions includes the integration of new sensing capabilities, the extension of existing sensing ranges and the addition of new monitoring features. The breadboards were developed to provide representative experimental conditions and capabilities for long-term testing up to 3 months.
Simultaneously, we performed experimental and modelling studies to improve our knowledge about key parameters controlling the hardware operation.
The 2nd Work Package covers 1) the Altar’s digital transition toward internal users or external customers and 2) the improvement of the evolution protocols performed in the hardware setup.
Regarding the 1st goal, a product manager was hired with a focus on defining the product vision and orientation of the main software we want to deploy. We started doing a round of interviews with former and current customers, as well as internal interviews and field observations. We decided to focus first on improving our operational efficiency and free the Project Managers from low added-value tasks so that they can focus on higher value work.
We are building a project management dashboard that will include three main building blocks: project monitoring, reporting, data storage and visualization. As of the end of 2021, an initial software architecture using these blocks was established and the user interface/experience was completed. We performed initial developments to evaluate some software solutions for building a database collecting all the data generated by the hardware and for visualizing the evolution experiments. In parallel, after an evaluation period, we bought an Electronic Lab Notebook software and initiated the transition towards digital tools for our lab operations.
To achieve the 2nd goal of improving the evolution protocols, we firstly investigated some characterization capabilities for monitoring microorganisms’ phenotypes along the evolution experiment. Classical approaches using standard or improved micro-well plate readers were compared to more advanced technologies developed by startup companies and leveraging recent advances in microfluidics. The study allowed us to collect our requirements (such as cost of instrument/consumables/operation, reliability, support, automated data processing), evaluate all these approaches.
We initiated a program to leverage the data continuously generated by our devices, aiming at identifying statistical correlations between observed evolution trajectories and parameters set for the evolutionary experiments, and at developing analytical models. We also investigated new methods for data processing supporting real-time decision-making.
