MicroBioGen

MicroBioGen is an Australian biotechnology company that specialises in developing advanced yeast biotechnologies for biofuel and bioproducts.
Commonly known as brewers’ or bakers’ yeast, this microorganism is a foundational element used in many industries, from biofuels and pharmaceuticals to food, feed, and beverages.
Effective experimental design is crucial in biotechnology research. MicroBioGen’s researchers plan experiments on yeast strains under specific conditions to ensure that the data collected can effectively address specific scientific questions.
A single yeast cell can double in population every 90 minutes under optimal conditions, making it one of the fastest-growing model organisms used in biotech research. This rapid growth allows the scientists at MicroBioGen to quickly test and refine yeast strains for biofuel production, accelerating breakthroughs in renewable energy and sustainable bioproducts.

As MicroBioGen scaled, it required a more efficient Experiment Management System

MicroBioGen’s Experiment Management System was originally built on Microsoft Access. Data was collected on growth rates, ethanol production, and stress tolerance for example, and was then stored in the database. The data was continually analysed to identify patterns and determine optimal conditions for future experiments.

Even though Access is a useful database tool for managing structured data, MicroBioGen needed a system that would deliver more scalability and performance – allowing it to process larger datasets, introduce more automation, and integrate different experimentation systems into a single, seamless platform.

There were also security and compliance risks: Microsoft Access has weak security for multi-user access. It doesn’t have enterprise-grade user authentication, encryption, or role-based access controls needed for a biotech research and development environment. This is increasingly important for dealing with sensitive intellectual property and compliance requirements.

As Head of Operations at Microbiogen, Drew Selwood coordinates operations and directs the implementation of technology solutions throughout the organisation.

He reached out to the Turbineers for guidance on the right solution. He was open to advice on what this looked like, and worked closely with Tej through the solution discovery and design phases.

The interconnectedness and interoperability of Microsoft Power Platform

Tej and this team built the new Experiment Management System on Microsoft Power Platform, because of its ease of use, scalability, and security capabilities.

Built using a combination of Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Power Automate, Microsoft Dataverse, and Microsoft SharePoint, the solution is now transforming the way MicroBioGen runs its experiments.

This is leading to a much more effective use of data to improve decision making around yeast biotechnologies.

Drew explains: “We knew that Access databases weren’t going to be around for much longer, so we needed a system that encapsulated our data and enabled different teams to access it and collaborate around it. The main benefit of this new solution is the interconnection and interoperability it delivers between the different experiment management systems.

“With the pace of change within our operating environment, it’s important our teams have access to information as it happens. The success of this project has opened our eyes to the ways in which experiment systems can be set up and managed,” he says.

The solution developed by the Turbineers provides a quality control process, to ensure workflows are smooth. Drew’s team can go through each step of an experiment with appropriate checklists in place to ensure the integrity of the process. This delivers live, accurate, validated, and structured data at the appropriate time in the workflow, so nothing gets missed and MicroBioGen’s teams are running experiments as effectively as possible.

“The interconnectedness and real time availability of data is enabling faster and more accurate decision making at MicroBioGen,” explains Drew. “It’s allowing our teams to turn around experiments much faster and generate successful outcomes more rapidly.”

Better insights are delivering much improved decision making.

The Turbineers’s solution brings all data from numerous experiment sources together, seamlessly, so all the insights can be captured. Essentially, it transforms raw data from numerous experiments into structured data that can be used for developing more effective experimentation processes, and to improve the decision making of all the teams at MicroBioGen.

“The key outcomes for us are measured in terms of consistency of our data, the reliability of the system, and what this delivers in terms of data integrity,” continues Drew.

“With the previous system we’d have waited days for the bulk data entry to occur. Now, real-time data capture eliminates these delays, so our researchers can access up-to-date information as the experiments progress. This gives them the ability to make faster decisions, and it reduces the risk of human error or missing data.

“The strain development team, for example, can track progress and move things around to optimise resource allocation. If an approach isn’t working, they can pivot early, avoiding wasted time and effort. This accelerates decision-making, ensuring strain development follows the most effective path toward achieving research goals.”

Looking into the future, Drew explains that the organisation will be focusing more on automation. “We’re working on increasing automation by using data from previous experiments to prefill key conditions and calculations for follow-up tests. This will streamline experiment setup, reduce manual input, and ensure we can act on data more efficiently – further accelerating research and improving experimental outcomes.”

We’ve created an environment of continuous improvement in our Experiment Management.

“I am always impressed by how quickly Tej and the team can grasp our complex processes and new terminology. Throughout this project they’ve taken a holistic approach, ensuring our system structure, security, and workflows all align with our goals,” says Drew.

“Rather than just following our instructions, Tej and the team provide solutions, turning our ideas into practical, effective implementations. Honestly, we have zero knowledge or experience in the capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform and associated apps, so Tej and the team provide options for what the technology can do.

“Sometimes our requests or expectations aren’t realistic, but Tej workshops ideas with us to create really innovative workarounds. With the Turbineers working alongside us, the technology can be moulded around our unique requirements. Their experience turns Microsoft Power Platform into a really flexible and agile solution for us.”