About
People
Dr. Efrat Dvash Riesenfeld Chief Technology Officer
Overall Goal
Save time and improve day-to-day operational efficiency
Approach
Fully adopt Labguru’s holistic lab data management solution
Results
- 2 hours/week saved per team member
- Significantly improved efficiency of day-to-day lab operations
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Dr. Efrat Dvash Riesenfeld
Chief Technology Officer
Bee-io are a small team with a big dream: make honey without bothering bees. Founded in 2021, they are ‘thinking outside the hive’ to challenge conventional honey production methods that have led to: mass extinction of local bee populations, a 33% global decline in bees over two decades, and all-round loss in biodiversity.
By biomimicking natural events, Bee-io have developed fully lab-made, bee-free honey that is almost molecularly identical to bee-made honey, containing similar nutritional values, texture, flavor, aroma, enzymatic activity, as well as medical properties such as antimicrobial activity.
They do this in three stages:
- Protein production - by precision fermentation that mimics the honey-stomach of the bee.
- Nectar production - produce nectar components from plants.
- Processing - transforming these two components into honey.
As they transition from R&D to commercial honey production, we caught up with Dr. Efrat Riesenfeld Dvash, CTO, to find out how they’re leveraging Labguru.
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Challenges
“It was chaotic before. Everything got organized after Labguru”
Bee-io started off as a few people in a small lab. Everything was done manually, tracked using pen and paper. Things were often forgotten and it was hard for Efrat to track and understand exactly what her team was doing.
Equipment checks were also an issue as not everybody could remember what needed checking or when.
“We were introduced to all the capabilities of Labguru and we really liked what we saw”.
They onboarded over two years ago with Labguru and haven’t looked back since.
Solution
From the start, Bee-io loved how user-friendly and intuitive Labguru was. Thanks to a powerful Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), they host all their structured protocols and SOPs within Labguru, so they can start experiments with a few clicks rather than “writing out the experiment again, and again, and again”.
Breaking Down Communication Barriers
Speaking about her team, Efrat said that “it’s a win-win - it’s easier for them, and it’s easier for me”.
As CTO, Efrat particularly enjoys the transparency that Labguru creates by breaking down communication barriers.
“I can access and supervise experiments while they’re still happening, have an overview of lab activities, and follow up on any issues in real-time.”
Analytics Made Easy
On the analytics front, Labguru’s Datasets make it easy to compare results of different experiments and draw conclusions. Each experiment can be easily repeated from a protocol template or SOP. The results auto-populate into the dataset, allowing swift conclusions to be drawn with great accuracy about optimal conditions, yields, and other results.
Efrat gave a great example of a fermentation protocol, where she repeated multiple experiments with different conditions in order to improve the yield of certain proteins found within honey. Without Labguru, analysis would have taken much longer.
“It has helped make our lives and doing science much easier”.
Equipment Management
By implementing preventive maintenance schedules, the relevant team members are notified well in advance of upcoming maintenance work. Thanks to this, Bee-io has minimized equipment downtime and ensured the optimal performance of critical laboratory instruments. Less down time means more honey production, which is one of Bee-io’s big goals this year.
Results
“Labguru saves each team member at least two hours a week”.
From avoiding writing out experiments, to analyzing results in one place, to all-around lab organizations, Labguru is giving back time to Bee-io employees to do what they do best: the science.
“You can really feel the fact that we are so much more organized with Labguru”.
The Labguru sample management system is a game-changer for Efrat’s team.
“Sometimes, you buy an expensive chemical and then don’t use it for months. When you want to use it again, you don’t remember if you have it or where it is. With Labguru, you know the exact shelf, box, and row that it sits in.” It saves time searching and saves money because they don’t have to purchase it again.
“For sure, it’s helped us save a lot of of money and time”
An Eye to the Future
As Bee-io swarms on to a bee-free future for the honey industry, they remain committed to innovation and sustainability. They’re looking to scale up honey production from 3 tons/week to 20 tons/week. Once they establish their first production facility, they are looking to expand to additional territories.
Following their planned launch of 6 different honey products, they will be looking to upscale R&D to develop new-and-exciting products like cultivated Royal Jelly, cultivated honey with a low glycemic index, and cultivated buffalo milk products.
With an ambitious vision to make a positive impact on the world, Labguru is by their side to partner them on their mission. After two years, Efrat doesn’t remember a lab without Labguru, and can’t imagine ever going back to one.
“I think it’s an excellent software. They’re always trying to add new features to improve users' experience”.