Transcriptic Launches Science-as-a-Service Platform
Transcriptic, a cloud-based
research services provider, has launched
Transcriptic Platform, a
programmable system for defining and executing experimental protocols for
molecular and cell biology researchers.
According to the company, Transcriptic Platform includes a remote on-demand
infrastructure and an API that lets
researchers customize machine-readable experimentation protocols. Transcriptic
aims to eliminate "the time-intensive manual labor component of laboratory
research" through its automated lab infrastructure that lets researchers
maintain control of their experiments and execute experimental protocols
remotely.
"Transcriptic's mission is to provide the infrastructure necessary to lower
costs, improve reproducibility and allow researchers to do the projects that
right now they can only wish they could run," said Max Hodak, CEO of
Transcriptic, in a prepared statement. "Scientists no longer have to purchase
expensive equipment or be chained to the bench to run their experiments."
According to the company, Transcriptic's Common Lab Environment (TCLE)
"combines proven hardware, innovative new software, and the human element," and
the company also offers collaboration with a team of Ph.D. scientists and
engineers who can support researchers through the process.
Key features of Transcription Platform include:
- Scalability to meet the needs of multiple clients simultaneously;
- Ability for researchers to run many projects in parallel; and
- Online interface for monitoring progress remotely and viewing quality
control data.
The UC Davis Genome Center
has already used Transcriptic "to outsource the creation and processing of
samples for projects ranging from bio fuels to cancer therapies to specialty
chemicals," according to the company.
"The building phase is a critical component to research, but can be extremely
mundane, repetitive, and mindless," said Justin Siegel, assistant professor of
Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Molecular Medicine at the UC Davis Genome Center,
in a prepared statement. "Using Transcriptic has fundamentally changed the way
we approach research because we can rely on them to do that leg work, freeing up
our students to spend more time on the creative aspects of research like design
and building."
In related Transcriptic news, the company has also launched a Research
Partnership Program for projects that produce a high volume of output. The
program enables them to perform "a low-cost test run to ensure reliable results,
and then receive a deep discount on scaling up their validated protocol,"
according to the company.
Transcriptic was founded in 2012 and has received funding from IA Ventures,
Google Ventures, Data Collective, AME Cloud Ventures, Founders Fund and others.
Further information about the Transcriptic Platform can be found on the
company's site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].