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Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability (M2PC)

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory’s (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 Department of Energy Office of Science's Biological and Environmental Research program. 

Renderings of the interior and exterior of EMSL's future M2PC facility. Images show an exterior red brick building surrounded by vegetation, an interior lobby with large windows and people roaming about, as well as a space outside of autonomous machinery that you can see through interior windows while people reside outside in a seating area.
Renderings of EMSL's future Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability. (Illustrations courtesy of Bouten Construction Company)

Researchers will be able to discover and assign new microbial functions at a scale and pace matching that of next-generation gene sequencing technologies. 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. 

EMSL will provide a range of 24,500–50,000 gross square feet of instrumentation and support spaces for M2PC’s highly autonomous operations. The facility will include analytical instrumentation, microbial culturing, and characterization resources operating in an automated pod.

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 to be awarded: FY 2026 
  • Groundbreaking: FY 2026 
  • Open to EMSL users: FY 2029 

Contact

Scott Baker, Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Leader