French biotech Abolis Biotechnologies has launched MINE (Microbial INtelligence Explorer), a data-driven platform designed to help manufacturers interpret complex microbial systems and accelerate the development of industrial biotechnology processes.
Launched last month, MINE integrates microbial and multi-omics data with experimental and industrial insights to help R&D teams identify relevant biological mechanisms, select promising development pathways and determine which experiments warrant further investigation.
The platform aims to reduce reliance on trial-and-error approaches by helping researchers understand how microbial strains contribute to target-molecule production and identify parameters that could influence process performance.
Integrating multi-omics data for process optimisation
MINE brings together genomic exploration, multi-omics analysis and experimental interpretation to investigate microbial metabolism and interactions within microbial communities.
According to Abolis, the platform can help teams identify potential optimisation opportunities, establish validation requirements and prioritise experiments in line with technical and industrial constraints.
The approach reflects wider developments in data-driven biomanufacturing.
A 2023 review published in Bioresources and Bioprocessing found that omics-guided process optimisation can provide insights into microbial metabolism and fermentation performance that traditional, experience-led methods may overlook.
However, translating laboratory findings into reliable industrial production remains a challenge, particularly during scale-up.
MINE builds on Microbiome Studio, a machine learning-enabled analytical platform developed through the Metapath project, an industrial programme supported by the French government.
Initially used for Abolis' internal microbial biotechnology programmes, the platform was refined through industrial collaborations before being developed for external R&D and open-innovation teams.
The company says MINE is designed to make complex biological data more accessible to decision-makers who may not specialise in bioinformatics or omics analysis.
Connecting microbial discovery with industrial scale-up
The launch extends Abolis' existing development capabilities, which span strain engineering, enzyme modelling, fermentation, bioprocess development and scale-up support.
The platform is intended to help partners assess biological potential alongside industrial feasibility within the same development programme, supporting decisions from initial project scoping through process development and manufacturing preparation.
Applications include pharmaceuticals and healthcare, cosmetics and personal care, food, nutrition and agriculture, with potential projects involving ingredients, biotics, fermentation-derived products and bio-based alternatives.
Sylvia Julien, General Manager of the MINE business unit, said: "The challenge in microbial biotechnologies lies in the difficulty of integrating the various pieces of information and, therefore, to know which signals matter and which hypotheses deserve further testing for product development."
MINE gives teams a clearer way to navigate that complexity, helping them focus experimental work on the questions most likely to move a programme forward.
Abolis co-founder and CEO Cyrille Pauthenier added that the platform brings more than a decade of the company's microbial biotechnology and industrial experience into a tool designed to support research and development decisions before, during and after experimentation.
