COSY-BIO · Project

Making Engineered Living Cells Work Reliably for Industrial Biotechnology

healthPrototypeTRL 3Thin data (2/5)

Imagine programming a cell the way you program a computer — telling it exactly what chemicals to produce and when. The problem is that cells are messy and unpredictable, like trying to drive a car where the steering wheel sometimes turns left when you push right. COSY-BIO borrowed ideas from autopilot systems and thermostats — feedback controllers that constantly measure and correct — and applied them to living cells. They built three types of biological "autopilots": one run by a computer connected to cells through tiny channels, one built directly into cells using DNA parts, and one where helper cells keep other cells in line.

By the numbers

EUR 2,975,345

EU research funding invested

research partners in consortium

countries represented (CH, FR, IT, UK)

project deliverables produced

types of biological controllers developed (external, embedded, multicellular)

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies using engineered cells for production — whether making drugs, chemicals, or biomaterials — face a fundamental reliability problem: living cells are unpredictable. A batch of engineered bacteria might produce the target molecule perfectly one day and fail the next, because biological parts inside cells are inherently noisy and don't behave like predictable machine components. This variability drives up costs through failed batches, extended development cycles, and the need for constant monitoring and manual correction.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 14 outputs including an Optimal Experimental Design and BioModel Identification platform for faster biological circuit design, and cell cycle reporter constructs for monitoring cell behavior. They demonstrated three types of feedback controllers for cells: computer-driven external controllers using microfluidics, DNA-based controllers embedded directly in cells, and multicellular controllers where one cell population regulates another.

Audience

Who needs this

Biopharmaceutical manufacturers with cell culture variability problemsIndustrial biotech companies engineering microorganisms for chemical productionSynthetic biology startups building custom biological circuitsContract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) in biologicsBioprocess equipment companies looking for next-generation control systems

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Biopharmaceuticals

enterprise

Target: Biotech companies producing therapeutic proteins or antibodies in cell cultures

If you are a biopharma manufacturer dealing with batch-to-batch variability in cell culture production — this project developed feedback control systems for living cells that keep biological production on target. Their microfluidics-based external controllers and DNA-encoded embedded controllers could reduce failed batches by making cell behavior more predictable and consistent across production runs.

Industrial Biotechnology

mid-size

Target: Companies using engineered microorganisms to produce chemicals, biofuels, or materials

If you are an industrial biotech company struggling with engineered yeast or bacteria that lose productivity over time — this project built controllers that automatically correct cell behavior when it drifts off course. Their multicellular controller approach, where one cell population monitors and corrects another, could maintain production yields without constant manual intervention.

Synthetic Biology Tools

SME

Target: Biotech startups and contract research organizations designing custom organisms

If you are a synthetic biology company spending months in design-build-test cycles to get engineered organisms working — this project created a rapid prototyping platform combining optimal experimental design with cell-free testing systems. With 14 deliverables including a BioModel Identification platform, these tools could significantly shorten the time from DNA design to working biological circuit.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or use this technology?

No commercial licensing terms are publicly available. COSY-BIO was a EUR 2,975,345 publicly funded research project with 9 purely academic and research partners. Any licensing would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium members, likely through their technology transfer offices.

Can this work at industrial production scale?

The project demonstrated proof-of-principle controllers in bacteria and yeast at laboratory scale using microfluidics devices. Scaling from microfluidic channels to industrial bioreactors would require significant additional engineering. The embedded DNA-based controllers are the most promising for scale-up since they work inside cells without external hardware.

What is the IP situation?

With 6 universities and 3 research organizations across 4 countries (Switzerland, France, Italy, UK), IP is likely distributed among multiple institutions. No industrial partners were involved, so commercial IP rights may be available through institutional technology transfer offices. Due diligence on specific patent filings would be needed.

How mature is this technology?

This was a FET Open project — the EU's program for early-stage, high-risk research. The consortium produced 14 deliverables including prototype platforms, but all work remained in the lab. Based on available project data, this sits at roughly TRL 3, with validated concepts but no industrial pilot testing.

How would this integrate with existing bioprocessing equipment?

The external controller approach requires microfluidics hardware connected to a computer — this would need custom integration with existing bioreactors. The embedded controllers, built from DNA parts inserted into production organisms, would integrate more naturally since they become part of the organism itself. Cell-free testing components could complement existing screening workflows.

Is there regulatory precedent for feedback-controlled biological systems?

Engineered organisms already go through standard biosafety and GMO regulatory pathways. Adding feedback controllers does not fundamentally change the regulatory category, but each specific application would need its own assessment. Based on available project data, no regulatory submissions were made during the project period.

Who are the key researchers behind this work?

The project was coordinated by Fondazione Telethon ETS in Italy, with 9 partners spanning Switzerland, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The consortium is entirely academic — 6 universities and 3 research organizations — representing strong expertise in control engineering, synthetic biology, and microfluidics.

Consortium

Who built it

The COSY-BIO consortium of 9 partners across 4 countries (Switzerland, France, Italy, UK) is entirely academic — 6 universities and 3 research organizations with zero industrial partners and zero SMEs. This tells a business buyer two things: the science is likely strong (these are research-focused institutions), but there has been no commercial validation whatsoever. No company has tested this in a real production environment. The coordinator, Fondazione Telethon ETS in Italy, is a well-known biomedical research foundation. For any business interested in this technology, you would be the first industrial adopter, which means opportunity to shape the technology but also the risk of bridging a significant gap from lab to factory floor.

FONDAZIONE TELETHON ETSCoordinator · IT
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET AUTOMATIQUEparticipant · FR
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINEparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO IIparticipant · IT
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOLparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITE PARIS CITEparticipant · FR
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSthirdparty · FR
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGHparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Fondazione Telethon ETS (Italy) — reach out through their technology transfer office or research partnerships team

Order a report on this consortium See FONDAZIONE TELETHON ETS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore whether biological feedback controllers could improve your bioprocess reliability? SciTransfer can arrange a focused briefing with the COSY-BIO research team and assess fit for your production challenges.

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