DSM and TU Delft launch Artificial Intelligence Lab for Biosciences (the AI4B.io Lab)

Royal DSM and TU Delft have announced the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Lab for Biosciences (the AI4B.io Lab). This laboratory will be the first of its kind in Europe to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to full-scale biomanufacturing, from microbial strain development to process optimization and scheduling.

The AI4B.io Lab will be part of the Dutch National Innovation Center for AI (ICAI), in which AI applications for various commercial solutions are researched and developed in close collaboration with companies. It will be led by Professor Marcel Reinders, Director TU Delft Bioengineering Institute. DSM regards biosciences as an important tool for addressing climate change and resource scarcity and optimizing the global food system and will invest EUR 2.5 million into the laboratory over the first five years.

Professor Marcel Reinders, Director TU Delft Bioengineering Institute and Artificial Intelligence Lab for Biosciences

Professor Marcel Reinders, Director TU Delft Bioengineering Institute: ‘’Biotechnology can contribute significantly to solving major societal challenges, such as climate change, healthy nutrition for the world’s rapidly growing population, and raw material scarcity. AI plays a crucial role in the development of biotechnology applications, but – scientifically speaking – there are still many unanswered questions at the cellular, lab, and process level. By linking our fundamental research to concrete opportunities at DSM, we can maximize our impact.”

With over 150 years of experience, DSM has already developed an extensive portfolio of sustainable, biobased solutions that help address some of the key challenges facing society. Now, developments in the understanding of biology, as well as major advances in digital transformation, are opening up exciting possibilities for new biobased products, applications, and manufacturing processes. Integrating biosciences and digital technologies can help to reduce the time spent on innovation cycles, from prototyping to scaling and commercialization.

Bringing the objective to life, digitally

Traditionally, scientific research is based on trial and error within multiple sub-studies that work together toward a specific objective, such as a new product or production technology. What makes AI unique is that it allows scientists to invert this process. The objective is brought to life in a digital environment using ‘digital twins’ (a virtual ‘mirror’ of the desired real-world situation), while machine learning helps determine how to achieve it.

Although AI is already widely applied in hardware engineering research – for instance, to replace physical wind turbines or tunnels with digital twins – the AI4B.io Lab will be the first of its kind to explore AI’s potential in biosciences and biomanufacturing.

No innovation without collaboration

Close collaboration drives progress and provides access to new technologies. For this reason, DSM is partnering with TU Delft in setting up and developing the AI4B.io Lab.

It will be the third ICAI Lab on the TU Delft Campus, joining the AI for Retail Lab Delft of Ahold Delhaize, and the AI for Fintech Lab of ING.

TU Delft will invest in 24 interdisciplinary AI laboratories on a broad range of topics to further drive collaboration between scientists working in AI and scientists from other domains and strengthen applications of AI in commercial settings. The AI4B.io Lab will also collaborate with Planet B.io, the open-innovation ecosystem at the Biotech Campus Delft – for instance, by providing research insights and consultancy to biotechnology startups on the campus.

This article originates from: TU Delft