DAMP Lab

What DAMP Lab does

DAMP Lab (Design, Automation, Manufacturing, and Processes) is an academic cloud laboratory operating within Boston University's Biological Design Center, housed at the Rajen Kilachand Center for Life Sciences and Engineering on the Charles River Campus. The lab's stated mission is to integrate AI and automation into the specify-design-build-test (SDBT) cycle for synthetic biology, delivering standardized, reproducible molecular biology services to researchers worldwide. The core product surface comprises 57 molecular bio-cloud operations organized across 10 service categories (DNA assembly and cloning, PCR reactions, DNA/RNA purification, fluorescence-based assays, transcriptomics/NGS, cell culture, materials storage, clinical testing, automation consulting, and service bundles) plus 13 pre-configured service bundles. Execution is anchored on an automation stack of 8+ OpenTrons and Hamilton automated liquid handlers, Illumina NextSeq sequencing, and Abbott analytical instruments; customer-facing access is delivered through the DAMPLab Canvas platform (self-serve, remote) and the year-long DAMP Residency Program (\$25,000/year) that places 4–6 biotech startups on-site per cohort.

DAMP generates revenue through three streams: (1) bio-cloud service fees — per-request charges for molecular biology services delivered via Canvas; (2) residency program membership — annual \$25K subscriptions from biotech startups, with consumables billed quarterly at market cost; and (3) usage-based clinical testing — most notably the COVID-19 RT-qPCR pipeline, originally scaled to 5,000+ tests/day for the Boston University community during the pandemic. Customer segments include academic researchers (primary), Boston-area biotech startups (residency), and university-community clinical testing clients. The lab holds CLIA certification for clinical testing and self-attests to the US Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening, and operates under strategic technology and ecosystem partnerships with New England Biolabs (NEBNext Alliance), Hamilton, OpenTrons, Align Bio, and the SiLA Standards organization. Operationally, DAMP is led by Founder/Director Douglas Densmore with Research Director Catherine Klapperich, supported by a core team of approximately 9–10 staff including CLIA supervisors, software engineers, research associates, and undergraduate researchers through the DAMP Colonies program; the lab also hosts the annual IWBMA (International Workshop for BioManufacturing Automation) and engages in community/developer-relations outreach via GitHub, protocols.io, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Name

DAMP Lab

Legal name

DAMP Lab

Website

https://damplab.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DAMP Lab is an academic cloud laboratory within Boston University's Biological Design Center that delivers AI-integrated, automated molecular biology services — 57 bio-cloud operations across DNA assembly, PCR, cloning, and NGS — to academic researchers globally via the Canvas platform and biotech startups via its \$25K/year Residency Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biotechnology Research Services

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Liquid Handling & Laboratory Automation (Pipettes, Robots, Workstations) (HLAGAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lab Automation, Instrument Control & Workflow Orchestration Software (HLAGAJAG), Lab Middleware, Instrument Connectivity & Automation (HLACAMAI)

Keywords

• Molecular biology services
• Bio-cloud operations
• DNA assembly services
• Lab automation
• Synthetic biology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bio-Cloud Service Fees: Researchers and institutions pay for molecular biology services including DNA assembly, PCR, cloning, sequencing preparation, and other bio-cloud operations. Services are offered across 10 categories encompassing 57 operations and 13 bundles.
2. Residency Program Membership: Biotech startups pay an annual membership fee of $25,000 for access to the cloud lab environment, equipment, BU affiliation, and support services. Consumables are billed quarterly at market cost with no markup.
3. COVID-19 Testing Services: Large-scale SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR screening services, originally developed for Boston University community during the pandemic, configured for 5000+ tests/day capacity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DAMP Lab operates an academic cloud laboratory that delivers on-demand molecular biology services to researchers worldwide through automated wet-lab infrastructure. It offers 57 molecular bio-cloud operations across 10 service categories, including DNA assembly, PCR, cloning, sequencing library prep, fluorescence-based assays, and cell culture, executed via OpenTrons and Hamilton liquid handlers and accessed remotely through the DAMPLab Canvas platform.

Product overview

The DAMP Lab operates as a cloud laboratory platform offering 57 molecular bio-cloud operations across 10 service categories and 13 bundles, with a core focus on high-throughput DNA assembly, cloning, PCR, sequencing, and automated assays. The platform integrates AI and automation into the specify-design-build-test (SDBT) cycle, delivering services through a suite of 8+ OpenTrons and Hamilton automated liquid handlers, Illumina NextSeq sequencing, and Abbott analytical instruments. Beyond the core molecular biology services organized under categories (DNA Assembly & Cloning, PCR Reactions, DNA & RNA Processing, Fluorescence-Based Assays, Transcriptomics/NGS, Culturing & Media, Materials Repository & Storage, Clinical Testing), the lab offers complementary programs including a Residency Program for biotech startups ($25,000/year), an undergraduate Colonies training program, and the annual IWBMA workshop. DAMPLab Canvas provides the customer-facing access portal for service requests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DAMP Residency Program: Year-long program providing biotech startups access to cloud lab environment within Boston University's Rajen Kilachand Center
• IWBMA
• DAMP Colonies

Products and services

• Molecular Bio-Cloud Operations
• DNA Assembly & Cloning
• PCR Reactions
• DNA & RNA Processing
• Fluorescence-Based Assays
• Transcriptomics (NGS)
• Culturing & Media
• Materials Repository & Storage
• Automation Consulting
• Service Bundles
• COVID-19 Testing Service
• DAMP Residency Program
• DAMPLab Canvas

Quantifiable outcome

• 5000+ tests/day capacity for COVID-19 screening
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New England Biolabs (NEBNext Alliance Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAMP Lab is listed as a partner in the NEBNext Alliance Program, an initiative by New England Biolabs connecting leading next-generation sequencing core laboratories with the research community. The DAMP Lab is recognized as the first core facility listed on the Alliance website, highlighting their expertise in NGS workflows.
• OpenTronscoreTechnology or IntegrationDAMP Lab uses OpenTrons automated liquid handlers as part of their core infrastructure. The partnership provides students with hands-on experience at the intersection of biology and automation through the DAMP Colonies program.
• HamiltoncoreTechnology or IntegrationDAMP Lab uses Hamilton Microlab Star automated liquid handlers as core equipment for high-throughput operations, including COVID-19 testing infrastructure.
• Align BiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlign Bio is listed as a current member/supporter of the DAMP Lab community, participating in collaborative initiatives.
• SiLA Standards OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAMP Lab hosts SPLASH events teaching SiLA standards for digital lab interoperability and standardization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• OpenTrons Labworks: OpenTrons is both a DAMP Lab equipment partner and a broader lab automation provider offering OT-2 and Flex liquid handling robots, plus its own cloud lab services. It is comparable as a competitor and enabler in the same lab automation ecosystem.
• Ginkgo Bioworks: Ginkgo Bioworks operates large-scale automated synthetic biology and cell engineering infrastructure, serving biotech customers with high-throughput organism design. While oriented toward platform services rather than academic cloud lab, it competes for the same biotech cloud lab services budget.

Direct peers

• Emerald Cloud Lab: Emerald Cloud Lab operates a fully remote, automated molecular biology and chemistry cloud lab that lets researchers submit experiments via a web interface. It is the closest direct competitor to DAMP Lab's bio-cloud operating model, with a broader catalog of wet-lab capabilities.
• Transcriptic (now part of Strateos): Transcriptic pioneered the cloud lab concept with remotely operated robotic wet labs for synthetic biology. Its historical product scope (DNA assembly, cloning, NGS prep) overlaps almost entirely with DAMP Lab's 57 operations.
• Strateos: Strateos (formerly Transcriptic) provides a cloud lab platform with remotely controlled robotic labs for biology and chemistry experiments. It competes directly with DAMP Lab's Canvas platform for academic and biotech on-demand lab services.

Emerging players

• Arctoris: Arctoris operates a cloud lab for drug discovery, combining automated biology experiments with structured data output. Its emphasis on reproducibility and remote access parallels DAMP Lab's value proposition for academic and biotech customers.
• Culture Biosciences: Culture Biosciences runs a cloud lab for bioprocess and fermentation experiments, serving synthetic biology startups with remote bioreactor access. It is comparable to DAMP Lab's residency/customer segment (biotech startups) and shares the cloud lab delivery model.

Others

• New England Biolabs (NEB): New England Biolabs is a DAMP Lab partner through the NEBNext Alliance Program and a major supplier of reagents/enzyme kits for DNA assembly and NGS prep. It is a key ecosystem participant whose product roadmap influences DAMP Lab's service catalog.
• Hamilton Company: Hamilton is a core equipment supplier for DAMP Lab's high-throughput liquid handlers (Microlab STAR) and comparable automated lab platforms. It is relevant as an enabler/incumbent in the lab automation stack rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Concept Life Sciences (lab automation services): Concept Life Sciences provides outsourced laboratory services including automated biology and chemistry workflows for pharma and biotech clients, primarily in the UK/Europe. It is comparable as a commercial CRO that integrates lab automation, though it does not directly compete in the academic cloud lab segment DAMP Lab serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Damp_Lab
• GitHubgithub.com/DAMPLAB
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@damplab/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/damp-lab

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DAMP Lab