Ginkgo Bioworks to Provide Autonomous Lab Access to NSF X-Labs Researchers, Contributing Cloud Lab Time and Protein Testing Services to $1.5 Billion Breakthrough Science Program
BOSTON, October 08, 2026--Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) today announced that it will provide in-kind access to its autonomous laboratory in Boston to support the National Science Foundation's X-Labs program. Ginkgo's support was announced today by Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), at the Science: A New Golden Age Summit in Washington, D.C.
NSF X-Labs is a $1.5 billion, decade-long initiative to fund independent teams of researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs pursuing breakthrough science through milestone-based awards. Through its contribution, Ginkgo will make cloud lab time on its autonomous lab available to NSF X-Labs teams, giving researchers remote access to robotic lab infrastructure to design, run, and analyze experiments.
As part of the NSF X-Labs program, Ginkgo will offer NSF X-Labs teams its protein testing services, enabling researchers to rapidly express and characterize protein designs, including those generated by AI models, without building out their own wet lab capacity.
Ginkgo's autonomous lab in Boston runs on Ginkgo's Reconfigurable Automation Carts (RACs), modular robots that combine robotic arms, maglev sample transport, and Catalyst software to run high-mix lab work around the clock. Researchers can access the lab remotely through Ginkgo Cloud Lab, which provides access to a fleet of more than 70 instruments spanning sample preparation, liquid handling, analytical readouts, storage, and incubation.
Autonomous labs are a key part of the U.S. government's vision for American science. Ginkgo already works with NSF through the Programmable Cloud Laboratories (PCL) Test Bed program, where it is expected to provide RACs and software to cloud lab nodes at Caltech, the University of Maryland, and Northwestern University.
"Autonomous labs are a key part of the U.S. government's vision for a golden age of American science, and we're proud to put our autonomous lab to work for NSF X-Labs teams," said Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. "Robotic labs are key to competing with China and to improving the reproducibility and output of U.S. science. We believe robotic labs should be at every university and biopharma company, and programs like X-Labs show how quickly researchers can move when they have access to them."
Researchers interested in Ginkgo's autonomous lab capabilities can learn more and submit protocols at cloud.ginkgo.bio.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks builds the tools that make biology easier to engineer for everyone. The company offers autonomous laboratories that replace manual laboratory work with robotics in the lab, greatly improving the productivity of scientists. Ginkgo's in-house autonomous lab is also available as a "cloud lab" through our Datapoints and Solutions contract research services. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com and ginkgobiosecurity.com, read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo and @Ginkgo_Biosec), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks), or LinkedIn.