Ginkgo engineers utilize a proprietary CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) suite to produce organisms designed to specification. CAD tools support the design of novel organisms that are scheduled for fabrication using Ginkgo's proprietary DNA assembly technology. CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) tools batch, schedule, and control the fabrication of candidate organisms. The performance of candidate organisms is measured, analyzed, and recorded within the same integrated software suite. Together, this CAE platform frees our engineers to focus on the creative aspects of organism engineering.
We are building a facility for engineering organisms that bears little resemblance to a traditional bench-top biology lab. We have invested heavily in robotic automation and have seen a significant reduction in error rates as by-hand operations are replaced with robotic processes. Our automated platform increases the throughput and reduces the turn-around time for building and testing new organisms. Ginkgo organism engineers now have far greater leverage than a traditional scientist working at the bench. Ginkgo recently signed a lease on a new 11,500 sq ft production facility in Boston, MA, to expand our organism engineering capacity.
At Ginkgo we are applying engineering methodologies to the development of new organisms. Sub-components that operate predictably in well-specified environments are a hallmark of mature engineering disciplines. Ginkgo organism engineers use a growing collection of re-usable genetic parts and host strains to customize organisms to meet customer needs. Our focus on re-usability of components parts and strains means that each new organism engineering project at Ginkgo is made easier by those that came before it.