Creative experimental space for knowledge and data exchange in the biotechnology industry

At KIWI-Biolab: Multiple different sample holders can be loaded with the automatic robotic arm.

The filling of bioreactors with various substances according to a predetermined pattern is carried out fully automatically in the KIWI-Biolab.

A consortium of over 25 leading universities, research institutions, and companies receives five million euros through the DATIpilot program for the project "BioBlock". This makes "BioBlock" one of the 20 selected innovation communities out of 500 applications for funding. "The management team, consisting of TU Berlin, the Institute for Applied Blockchain (IABC), Siemens, and the pharmaceutical and laboratory supplier Sartorius, will develop 'BioBlock' into an international flagship project in the biotechnology sector over the next four years," says Prof. Dr. Peter Neubauer, who coordinates the project and heads the Department of Bioprocess Engineering at TU Berlin.

DATIpilot, initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), promotes innovation and transfer in Germany. The 20 initiatives are to address societally relevant research topics and the associated questions of their implementation. The project "BioBlock – Secure Knowledge Exchange Platform for Decentralized Collaboration in the Biotechnology Industry to Promote Transfer and Innovation Using Verifiable and Usable FAIR Data" will be funded from January 2025 to December 2028.

Revolutionizing the Bioprocess Industry

"BioBlock" aims to integrate fragmented data, enhance data security with blockchain technology, increase efficiency in research and development through value creation mechanisms for provided data, and address regulatory challenges. "This platform is intended to build trust, promote collaboration among stakeholders from industry, science, and society, and support the principles of Open Science to revolutionize research and development in the bioprocess industry. Traditional methods such as patents and confidentiality agreements have proven insufficient to enable transparent knowledge exchange and to appropriately recognize individual contributions. The BioBlock innovation community aims to create a self-sustaining European platform where all stakeholders work together. The transfer and innovation using verifiable and usable FAIR data in the value chain of the biotechnology industry should thus be promoted," says Prof. Dr. Peter Neubauer. The four letters FAIR stand for Findable (research data are discoverable and citable), Accessible (research data are accessible), Interoperable (research data are technically reusable), Reusable (data are understandable and can be reused).

Optimal Conditions in the KIWI-Biolab

Based on the data structures and automated solutions established in the KIWI-Biolab, which are based on the FAIR principles, the goal of "BioBlock" is to integrate blockchain technology into the exchange of data and intellectual property, thereby enabling and promoting large, sustainable, open, and secure multidisciplinary communities. The KIWI-Biolab is located within the Department of Prof. Dr. Peter Neubauer. It enables the identification of optimal process conditions for biotechnological applications through fully automated and intelligent experimental planning, execution, and evaluation. By combining laboratory automation with methods of AI and machine learning, highly complex tasks can be performed quickly and precisely, which would not be possible manually.