Norwegian Open Laboratory for High-Throughput Experimentation and Scale-up

The University of Bergen (UiB) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are launching NorHTE, a new national platform for high-throughput experimentation (HTE) in Norway. HTE uses advanced robotics to automate and control chemical processes, enabling faster and more reliable research compared to traditional manual methods. NorHTE will be a dual-site facility split between UiB and NTNU. The UiB site will offer facilities for batch HTE, where robotic systems execute sequences of chemical processes in a similar way to a human chemist, while the NTNU site will offer tools for flow HTE, where reagents flow through a series of chemical modules. Both nodes will provide extensive facilities for real-time analysis and optimisation of reactions, making use of artificial intelligence to enable the discovery of new molecules and materials for electronics, catalysis, medicine, diagnostics, energy technology and many other application areas. A distinguishing feature of NorHTE is its provision of facilities for intermediate-scale chemical manufacturing, using flow reactors to produce up to 1 kg of fine chemicals per day.

This application seeks to establish a new national infrastructure platform (NorHTE) that will furnish Norway’s academic and industrial research communities in chemistry and related sciences with state-of-the-art hardware for high-throughput experimentation (HTE) and manufacturing. By offering a fast, automated and quality-assured alternative to error-prone manual methods, NorHTE will accelerate the discovery of new molecules and materials for multiple application areas, including electronics, catalysis, therapeutics, diagnostics and energy generation and conversion. The proposed infrastructure – the first of its kind in Norway – will comprise four platforms for (i) batch-chemistry, (ii) flow-chemistry, (iii) real-time analysis and optimisation, and (iv) scale-up. By combining automation, chemometrics and machine learning, NorHTE will allow Norwegian scientists to carry out large-scale chemical experiments of far wider scope than is currently feasible, leading to superior products and/or more efficient synthesis routes. The UiB node will consist of two robotic systems for aerobic and anaerobic batch synthesis, and a system for automated purification. The NTNU node will comprise a suite of flow modules for in-line reaction, purification and scale-up. Both nodes will be furnished with extensive in-line instrumentation for reaction monitoring, and will allow for automated feedback-driven searches in which the reaction conditions are repeatedly updated to improve e.g. yield or materials properties. The distinguishing feature of NorHTE which sets it apart from other HTE facilities worldwide is the inclusion of infrastructure for intermediate-scale chemical synthesis up to the 1-kg/day level, providing users with a complete solution that encompasses both chemical discovery and chemical manufacturing.