NSF awards $19.5M for open-access autonomous chemistry lab

The National Science Foundation has awarded $19.5 million to a collaboration among Scripps Research Institute, UCLA, and Sunthetics to establish a remotely accessible autonomous chemistry laboratory. The four-year project aims to create both a discovery platform and a training resource for chemists working with AI and automation technologies.

UCLA Professor Abigail Doyle will lead the initiative's work on data-rich experimental design and the discovery of new catalytic reactions using automation and open-source AI and machine learning tools. The effort builds on existing infrastructure at Scripps Research's Automated Synthesis Facility, which already provides robotic systems and analytical instrumentation to researchers.

A node in a national network

The new laboratory will function as one of 20 "Chemistry Nodes" in the NSF Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratory initiative. This national network is designed to test, scale, and demonstrate new methods and tools that advance automated science and engineering. By making the facility remotely accessible, researchers from institutions across the country will be able to conduct experiments without needing to be physically present.

The core automation equipment includes the Unchained Labs Big Kahuna system, which features robotic arms capable of handling laboratory vials and other containers. This hardware will be integrated with AI systems developed by Sunthetics, a company specializing in artificial intelligence applications for chemistry.

Why it matters

Automating chemistry laboratories addresses a fundamental bottleneck in scientific discovery: the time and labor required to design, execute, and analyze experiments. By combining robotics with AI-driven experimental design, researchers can explore chemical reaction spaces more systematically and at greater scale than manual methods allow. Making these capabilities available through remote access democratizes advanced research infrastructure, potentially accelerating innovation across academic institutions that lack similar facilities. The project also recognizes that training the next generation of chemists requires hands-on experience with the automation and AI tools that are reshaping the field.

Training the next generation

Beyond its role as a discovery engine, the laboratory is explicitly designed as a training platform. The NSF award recognizes that future chemists will need fluency in automation, robotics, and AI alongside traditional laboratory skills. By providing remote access to advanced equipment and AI tools, the facility can serve educational purposes for students and researchers who might not otherwise have exposure to these technologies.

Details of the award were first reported by UCLA Chemistry and Scripps Research Institute.