The Orchestrated Platform for Autonomous Laboratories (OPAL)

ORNL scientists demonstrated an agentic AI platform that greatly accelerated the analysis of data from the Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory. Credit: Andrew Sproles, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Project Details

The Orchestrated Platform for Autonomous Laboratories (OPAL) combines artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automated experimentation to accelerate breakthroughs accross biology, biotechnology and energy science. This multi-laboratory project led by the U.S. Department of Energy seeks to create a network of autonomous laboratories that can learn, adapt and reduce the time from biological discovery to real-world application.

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OPAL leverages the unique capabilities of the Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory (APPL), which integrates high-resolution imaging, robotics, and AI-powered analytics to link genetic variation to phenotypic traits, enabling rapid, data-driven plant characterization. Scientists are using this unique facility to develop plants that can “mine” rare earth elements critical for energy technologies.

Researchers

Contact

David Weston

OPAL Lead at ORNL

[email protected]