ATLAS - Automated high-throughput platform suite for accelerated molecular systems discovery
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
The materials design space is too large to be explored empirically. While experimental work can be directed by computational modeling to make this challenge more tenable, the number of tests/syntheses may still be too large on an experimental time-scale.
The goal of this project is to combine computational tools (e.g. molecular modelling, process modelling, computer-aided design) and automated HT synthesis and screening platforms to drive and accelerate the discovery and optimisation of new materials.
Specifically, ATLAS (Automated high-Throughput pLatform Suite) will comprise three robotic stations dedicated to the synthesis (two platforms) and screening (one platform) of materials. It will be located at Imperial College South Kensington Campus and be paired with materials characterisation equipment able to handle many samples owing to dedicated auto-sampling stations. By executing data-rich experiments, ATLAS will increase the pace of innovation, while enhancing reproducibility.
The research enabled by ATLAS will initially target challenges related to the discovery and optimisation of new medicines, sustainable polymers and clean energy materials.
The goal of this project is to combine computational tools (e.g. molecular modelling, process modelling, computer-aided design) and automated HT synthesis and screening platforms to drive and accelerate the discovery and optimisation of new materials.
Specifically, ATLAS (Automated high-Throughput pLatform Suite) will comprise three robotic stations dedicated to the synthesis (two platforms) and screening (one platform) of materials. It will be located at Imperial College South Kensington Campus and be paired with materials characterisation equipment able to handle many samples owing to dedicated auto-sampling stations. By executing data-rich experiments, ATLAS will increase the pace of innovation, while enhancing reproducibility.
The research enabled by ATLAS will initially target challenges related to the discovery and optimisation of new medicines, sustainable polymers and clean energy materials.
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- BMG Labtechnologies Ltd (Project Partner)
- Polymateria Ltd (Project Partner)
- Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Supergen Hub (Project Partner)
- BP (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- BASF (Germany) (Project Partner)
- Henry Royce Institute (Project Partner)
- Centre for Process Innovation (Project Partner)
- Roche (United States) (Project Partner)
- Deregallera (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Description | ATLAS facility was launched in April 2023. Since then, we have been able to start short- and medium-term projects that use the facility to produce results. This early work is showing the flexibility of the facility to accommodate energy materials and new medicines research, two of the three themes of the facility. Work towards the third theme, sustainable polymers, has yet to be fully initiated. |
Exploitation Route | Besides the new science that each project using ATLAS facility is generating/will generate, the main outputs that can be directly use by others are the automated high throughput workflows that will have been established as well as the know-how to use the platforms for different types of materials synthesis, characterisation and testing. |
Sectors | Chemicals Energy Environment Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology Other |
Description | Bio-derived and Bio-inspired Advanced Materials for Sustainable Industries (VALUED) |
Amount | £6,139,080 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 12/2027 |
Description | Probing the Fundamental Limits to the Catalysis of Green Hydrogen Production |
Amount | £402,436 (GBP) |
Organisation | International Centre for Advanced Materials |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2022 |
End | 08/2027 |
Description | iCASE studentship |
Amount | £40,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | BP (British Petroleum) |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2022 |
End | 09/2026 |
Description | ATLAS launch |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | On Thursday 20 April 2023, the new automated high-throughput platform suite (ATLAS) was launched at Imperial College London with a series of talks from academic and industry on advances in automation. Professor Julie McCann, Vice-Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Engineering, opened the event by setting out Imperial College London's research mission and academic strategy. The first session focused on researchers from Imperial and how the cross-faculty initiatives, including DigiFAB, Imperial-X, ROAR and DIGIBAT, inhabit a shared research ecosystem of automation, data and modelling in which ATLAS will play a key role. Following sessions focused on 'High-throughput computational work for molecular systems discovery and design', clean energy materials, sustainable polymers and new medicines. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/245053/imperial-launches-groundbreaking-automation-facility/ |
Description | Great Exhibition Road Festival 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We organised an interactive exhibit to showcase the Accelerated Robotic Discovery of Porous Materials. For this, we covered two topics that relate to ATLAS research areas: porous materials and the use of state-of-the-art automation to accelerate their discovery. We highlighted the role robotic platforms can play in accelerating research, particularly in the context of the discovery of new materials. Second, we showed the role of porous materials in addressing sustainability and energy challenges. The two topics are linked since robotic platforms can accelerate the discovery of porous materials that can be used to efficiently address issues like CO2 capture for instance. As part of the Festival, our aim was to raise awareness of these two topics and link them to subjects that the general public would have heard of in the media, e.g., carbon capture, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning. While addressing the public's questions, our goal was also more generally to inform the audience about the current status of research in these fields. Our exhibit included 4 activities: 1) Robotic liquid dispenser, dispensing coloured solutions forming the ATLAS logo 2) Touchscreen game - assembly of a porous material & gas capture 3) 3D-Models - demonstrate surface areas & structures of porous materials 4) CO2 capture set-up - 2 identical transparent containers: 1 filled with a colorful porous material & an empty one. Each container weighed, filled with a gas, then reweighed to show that the porous material can store more CO2 than the empty container. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |