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Core Technologies

DBTL Workflow

Workflow Framework

The biofoundry workflow framework is

a four-level abstraction hierarchy designed to standardize synthetic biology experiments so that they can be executed by automated systems using robotics and AI.
Developed through international collaboration among biofoundry researchers, this standardized framework provides a common language for connecting different laboratory equipment and experimental methods, enabling automation and data sharing in alignment with the FAIR principles.

Four-Level Abstraction Hierarchy for Standardizing Experimental Processes
A diagram illustrating the four-level abstraction hierarchy of a biofoundry workflow: Project, Service/Capability, Workflow, and Unit Operation. At the Project level, the overall research objective is defined. At the Service/Capability level, the specialized functions required to achieve that objective are identified. At the Workflow level, step-by-step experimental procedures are organized across the Design, Build, Test, and Learn stages of the DBTL cycle, with multiple workflows assigned to each stage. At the Unit Operation level, experimental tasks such as PCR, reagent dispensing, and incubator operation are performed by individual hardware devices or software tools, with each unit operation mapped to the appropriate device. Together, these four levels form a hierarchical framework that translates high-level project objectives into required capabilities, executable workflows, and individual operations performed by laboratory equipment and software.