Bioreactor Automation Software Accelerates the Drug Discovery Process

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 28, 2002 - Software company WireWorks West, Inc. announces the release of FermWorks, software that helps biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies streamline the drug discovery process by automating experiment control and managing critical process data.

Bioreactors and fermentors play critical roles in the modern laboratory, but their control units typically use rudimentary software. Until now, bioreactors have been monitored individually, which has limited how many could be controlled by each technician. Furthermore, the lack of connection between the bioreactor and a real-time database has left much data under-utilized or ignored altogether. The absence of sophisticated automation tools in drug discovery laboratories has slowed the development of new drugs.

FermWorks addresses the need for laboratory-wide automation and data management by enabling technicians and researchers to monitor and control a network of bioreactors and associated instruments, and to dramatically increase the scale and efficiency at which laboratories can operate.

FermWorks allows researchers to manage groups of bioreactors, and to apply control strategies to any bioreactor in an experiment. Researchers can quickly redefine configurations, adapt control methodologies from prior experiments to current processes, and compare process performance. FermWorks provides remote networked control and data display to staff within a laboratory or around the world, and is designed for the central storage of all process and configuration data. "Data for each bioreactor can come from any number of sources," says Meg Kay, Managing Architect of FermWorks. "This delivers a very flexible and user-friendly program for improving the efficiency of experiments."

According to WireWorks West President Andrew Johnson, "FermWorks adapts to all of the instruments and sensors used in research and development laboratories. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies can gain significant financial benefits by leveraging investments in existing laboratory hardware and by enabling personnel to do more in less time. FermWorks, which was designed in conjunction with research scientists, integrates all sources of data associated with an experiment, and makes the data available to researchers for analysis and future use."

WireWorks West will install FermWorks systems in four San Francisco Bay Area biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations during the next six months.

Key Product Features:

Exposes data for control and analysis of bioreactor processes.
- Provides real-time control and monitoring.
- Integrates all sources of data associated with an experiment.
- Controls a wide variety of instruments and hardware.

Adapts to diverse laboratory and pilot plant environments.
- Researchers may customize trending tools, recipes, protocols, and control algorithms.
- Allows for the easy introduction of custom features and calculations.
- Allows existing subroutines to run as plug-in code for customized control.

Distributes data across secure networks.
- Provides web access for monitoring processes, generating reports, analyzing data, and configuring experiments.
- Links workstations, archives, and enterprise systems.
- Data from workstations are available as process values for any experiment on the network.
- Plug-ins are made available to all bioreactors on a network.

FermWorks System Requirements:

- Macintosh, Windows, LINUX or UNIX.
- Ethernet LAN.

About WireWorks West, Inc.

Founded in 1998, WireWorks West, Inc. provides software and services for industrial automation and interactive data-networking. Our automation systems for manufacturing, process control applications for biotechnology, and our professional services, provide access to and control of complex manufacturing and research functions. These tools make raw data available for real-time analysis, and provide monitoring and management of continuous and discrete processes. WireWorks West, Inc. focuses on industry-specific solutions for Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, Electronics Manufacturing, Networking, and Telecommunications. Current clients include 2Wire, Applied Biosystems, Bayer, Flextronics, Genentech, Novozymes, and Stanford University. WireWorks West, Inc. is a privately held company with headquarters in San Francisco, CA.

Interview Contact: Andrew Johnson
Phone: 415-861-3778
E-mail: andrew@wireworkswest.com
URL: http://www.wireworkswest.com 

Corporate Headquarters
WireWorks West, Inc.
1402 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415-861-3778