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Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability (M2PC)

Visual mockup of EMSL's in-development Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability facility extension, also known as M2PC.
Click image for higher-resolution view.
Visual mockup of EMSL's in-development Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability facility extension, also known as M2PC.
Click image for higher-resolution view.
Exterior mockup of EMSL's Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability M2PC facility.
Click image for higher-resolution version.

EMSL's forthcoming Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability (M2PC) will offer an integrated suite of automated phenotyping instrumentation and analytical tools that advance basic science by unlocking functional knowledge about microbial and microbiome communities of critical importance to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science's Biological and Environmental Research program. 

As a 30,800-square-foot expansion of EMSL containing more than 100 connected instruments, M2PC will help fulfill DOE's directive to accelerate U.S. science using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, serving as a flagship component of the Genesis Mission.

Researchers will be able to discover and assign new microbial functions at a scale and pace matching that of next-generation gene sequencing technologies. Through automation, the facility will decrease experimental timeframes from years to months or even weeks.

Automations will include:

  • microbial culturing and sample prep
  • phenotype measurement under controlled conditions
  • analytical workflows that link traits to underlying molecular pathways

Ultimately, M2PC will:

  • improve understanding about microbial sciences 
  • impact the production of biofuels and bioproducts to bolster American manufacturing competitiveness 
  • generate insights into how microbes respond to changes in the environment

Thanks to M2PC's ability to map microbial traits at scale for AI and machine learning, researchers will help identify, grow, and optimize useful microbes faster. The facility will help researchers transform U.S. global leadership in biotechnology including important ramifications in manufacturing, human health, threat detection/mitigation, food security, and next-generation energy storage and transmission.

M2PC will be available to the research community in 2029 through EMSL's competitive Proposal Calls.

 

 

Interior illustration of the Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability (M2PC). Six rows display categories of processing and analysis, of which includes phenotyping analysis, strain engineering, media prep, sample prep, functional testing, and cell culturing.
M2PC will provide an integrated suite of automated phenotyping instrumentation and analytical tools needed by the scientific community to close knowledge gaps and open endless opportunity for emergent science to accelerate discovery. (Illustration courtesy of Ginkgo and EMSL)

M2PC Timeline 

  • Office of Science approves M2PC: FY 2024 
  • Contracts awarded: November 2025
  • Groundbreaking: October 20, 2026 
  • Open to EMSL users: FY 2029 

Contact

Scott Baker, Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Leader