CX1: A Web-Based Application for Augmenting Open Synthetic Biology Laboratory Automation

Individual experimentation done at the laboratory bench is the foundation of classical life science R&D, but this craftsman approach has substantial barriers to entry and limits information sharing, reproducibility, and scaling. Digital design, process management and automation, common in many areas of product development and manufacturing including pharmaceutical development, are now finding their way into everyday bioscience. Collectively, they have the potential to dramatically accelerate the iterative design, build, test, learn (DBTL) cycle of synthetic biology.  Recently Transcriptic, Inc., has leveraged advances in robotics and software to automate the build and test components of the cycle and make them available via the cloud. However, many researchers still lack the computer programming expertise required to implement the laboratory operations to augment or replace their routine bench work. Working with Transcriptic and their Autoprotocol language, we have developed a web-based application called CX1 to provide an easy-to-use framework for designing, visualizing, controlling, and distributing JSON-based Autoprotocol constructs. The aim of CX1 is to augment openly available synthetic biology lab automation. To demonstrate the utility of the CX1 application, a process development pipeline has been implemented to direct the assembly and characterization of a synthetic PhiX174 bacteriophage from design through Escherichia coli plaque assay.