K-biofoundry develops international standard language to unite synthetic biology laboratories worldwide

(Press-News.org) The National Biofoundry Project Team at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), led by Dr. Haseong Kim, has spearheaded an international joint research effort (including institutions from Korea, the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, and others—10 in total) to create a new standard framework that simplifies and enhances the accuracy and efficiency of synthetic biology research. This framework is anticipated to serve as an international standard for biofoundries—automated laboratories in synthetic biology.

Driven by advancements in deep-tech fields such as synthetic biology and AI, the global bioeconomy is rapidly expanding. It holds the potential to address global challenges by transitioning toward biomanufacturing in areas such as pharmaceuticals, biotherapeutics, and chemical materials.

Biofoundries are increasingly recognized as a core technology for realizing the global bioeconomy. They integrate automated robotics and AI with ICT technologies to standardize, accelerate, and automate the entire synthetic biology pipeline—supporting both experimental and manufacturing processes with high-throughput capabilities.

Since the launch of the Global Biofoundries Alliance (GBA) in 2019, publicly funded biofoundries around the world have engaged in sharing resources and fostering collaboration. To date, 33 member institutions have joined the GBA to exchange experiences and jointly address scientific and engineering challenges.

However, biofoundries have struggled to share resources and experiences due to differences in equipment, workflows, and operational practices. The lack of standardization and interoperability has also raised concerns about the cost-effectiveness of these expensive facilities.

To address this issue, the research team developed a four-level hierarchical framework that standardizes all experimental processes in biofoundries. This structure enables consistent recording, sharing, and automation of complex biological experiments, facilitating the accumulation of high-quality process data usable in AI applications.

The 4-Level Standard Framework

1. Project
A set of tasks performed to meet user-defined goals.

2. Service/Capability
The functions offered by a biofoundry.

3. Workflow
The iterative Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle.

4. Unit Operations
Individual tasks based on specific equipment or software tools.

This research represents the first globally unified operational structure for biofoundries. It effectively creates a common language and framework, allowing laboratories to operate like a single coordinated team. The standard enhances compatibility among automation equipment, improves reliability and reproducibility of experimental data, and facilitates integration with AI-driven and software-based experimental design and analysis.

Dr. Seung-Goo Lee, the corresponding author, commented,

“This research is a key strategy to enhance Korea’s biofoundry capabilities through global interoperability, especially following the recent passage of the Synthetic Biology Promotion Act in April.”

Dr. Haseong Kim, the first author, stated,

“Collaborating with researchers from the U.S., U.K., and other countries helped us identify several practical challenges in adapting experimental protocols to the biofoundry environment. We hope that by leading workflow standardization, K-Biofoundry can play a leading role in solving global challenges and advancing the bioeconomy.”

Prof. Paul Freemont of the London Biofoundry (co-corresponding author) emphasized,

“Due to the diversity of practices across labs, collaboration has been difficult. This framework provides a highly flexible and practical approach for sharing and utilizing the unique expertise of each laboratory.”

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) is a leading national research institute in South Korea dedicated to cutting-edge research in biotechnology and life sciences. Established in 1985, KRIBB focuses on advancing scientific knowledge in areas such as molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and aging-related studies. As a government-funded institute, KRIBB plays a pivotal role in driving innovation, supporting national R&D strategies, and collaborating with academic and industrial partners both domestically and internationally.

This research was supported by the Bio & Medical Technology Development Program, the Basic Research Program, and the Synthetic Biology Core Technology Development Program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), as well as KRIBB Research Initiative Program

 

The study was published online on July 1, 2025, in the prestigious journal Nature Communications (Impact Factor: 16.6) under the title: "Abstraction hierarchy to define biofoundry workflows and operations for interoperable synthetic biology research and applications"

(Corresponding Authors: [KRIBB] Dr. Seung Goo Lee)

(First Authors: [KRIBB] Dr. Ha seong Kim)

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