Catalyst Platform

The Catalyst Platform is Ginkgo Bioworks' software suite designed to serve as the operating system for discovery labs. It transforms a collection of disparate lab automation instruments into a unified, intelligent system, enabling scientists to focus on research rather than infrastructure management. The platform is built for modern life sciences labs that rely on complex, multi-vendor automation environments and need seamless coordination, data harmonization, and AI-assisted workflow execution.

The Catalyst Software Platform consists of three integrated products: Catalyst Orchestrator, a web-based automation control and scheduling system; Catalyst Data, a data harmonization and integration tool; and Catalyst Agent, a conversational AI that translates natural language into lab automation scripts. Together, these products address the core operational challenges of modern discovery labs — from scheduling and remote control to data chaos and closed-loop science.

Catalyst Orchestrator: Automation Control and Scheduling

• A modern, web-based automation control software that is as modular as the underlying hardware, designed to coordinate complex multi-vendor automation systems.
• Dynamic scheduling and streamlined automation management reduce inefficiencies, downtime, and excessive troubleshooting.
• Built for seamless integration with AI and ML for programmatic work design and execution, making it future-ready.
• Allows scientists to launch protocols and monitor execution in real-time through a web-based interface, with the ability to download generated data directly — no remote desktop or lab PC access required.
• Features a drag-and-drop Protocol Builder for designing protocols collaboratively, with the ability to reuse building blocks across multiple RAC systems and built-in version control to track protocol evolution.
• A deadlock-free scheduler enables efficient, automatic, constraint-based scheduling so multiple users and processes can run simultaneously, with different workstreams interleaved without deadlock risks.
• REST APIs enable seamless integration with existing software stacks, and a message queue subscription allows downstream actions to be triggered as work executes.
• Deployed via a pre-configured server rack installed on-premises; once connected to the internet, the Catalyst Orchestrator web interface is accessible from anywhere on the network.

Catalyst Data: Data Harmonization and Analysis Readiness

• Addresses the core challenge of data chaos in modern automation, where multiple vendors output disparate data formats such as XML, CSV, and XPT.
• Transforms raw, fragmented data into a unified, science-first view, allowing scientists to skip data transformation steps entirely and move directly to analysis at run completion.
• Enforces a single standard for event types across all platforms — regardless of which device executes a step, all liquid transfers and plate movements appear identical in the resulting data, simplifying integration and analysis across the entire fleet.
• Provides a robust bidirectional API for seamless LIMS and ELN integration, automatically recording all experimental data — including both successful runs and failures — to keep data management systems instantly up-to-date and consistent.
• Automates data processing and analysis to free up scientific resources, enabling teams to focus on higher-value research tasks while the platform reliably aggregates and contextualizes data in the background.
• Designed for scalability, accommodating growth in automation footprint and evolving analytical requirements without compromising data infrastructure stability or accessibility.

Catalyst Agent: Conversational AI for Lab Automation

• A conversational AI that partners with scientists to translate natural language intent directly into lab automation scripts.
• Manages protocols around the clock, enabling closed-loop science and continuous lab operation.
• Reduces the technical barrier between scientific intent and automated execution, allowing researchers to interact with lab systems in plain language.

The Catalyst Platform is deployed on-premises with internet connectivity, supporting remote access across the network. Its open API architecture ensures compatibility with existing LIMS, ELN, and broader software stacks, making it suitable for labs at any stage of automation maturity looking to scale their discovery operations intelligently.