Ginkgo Bioworks pairs AI and robotics to automate lab experiments
Technology
Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company, is making lab work way smarter by teaming up AI with robotics.
Their robots help run lab experiments, so experiments can run overnight while scientists focus on creative problem-solving instead of repetitive chores.
Ginkgo with OpenAI cut costs 40%
Started by four MIT graduate students, Ginkgo had a tough time getting funding until the recent AI wave, boosted by Sam Altman, opened new doors.
Working with OpenAI, they used AI to design proteins and cut costs by 40%, running over 30,000 experiments in just six months.
Some experts worry about biosecurity risks if this tech is misused, but co-founder Reshma Shetty says seeing an AI write a lab notebook entry for the first time was unforgettable.