DOE announced a set of foundational awards focused on data curation and AI model development. PNNL is involved in six of these projects: 

Orchestrated Platform for Autonomous Laboratories (OPAL) to Accelerate AI-Driven Bio Design

Creating a connected network of smart, self-driving labs that share data, learn from each other, and speed up discoveries in biology, biotechnology, and energy research through a multi-laboratory initiative.

PNNL POC: Douglas Mans

Accelerating Biological Discovery by Enabling Genomic Resources in Deep Phenotyping on Automated Platforms 

Using AI and automated experiments to link genes to real-world behavior in an important soil bacterium, improving models that speed up discovery and support more efficient critical material extraction and production.

PNNL POC: Jay Bardhan

Autonomous Experimentation Toolbox for High Throughput Efficient Research 

Combining robotics, AI decision-making, and plug-and-play interfaces into one flexible system, making advanced autonomous research tools accessible to researchers across multiple domains.

PNNL POC: Soumya Vasisht

AI Agents for Automated Phenotyping Platforms 

Using large language models to turn written lab procedures into automated workflows, dramatically reducing manual effort, minimizing human error, and enabling labs to run more experiments in less time.

PNNL POC: Scott Baker

Developing Advanced Methods for Nuclear Quantum Effects on Emergent Phenomena in Molecular and Condensed-Phase Systems

Building new computational methods to accurately capture nuclear quantum effects, improving predictions of excited-state behavior in materials and molecules, and enabling more reliable design of advanced technologies.

PNNL POC: Niri Govind

LAMBDA: A Lakehouse-enabled AI-ready Multi-modal Bioimaging Data Architecture

Developing a cross-facility, standardized and AI-ready data framework for Biological and Environmental Research-supported structural biology to enable predictive modeling of proteins and molecules to drive innovation in sustainable mineral recovery and advanced biotechnology.

PNNL POC: James Evans