Inside Ancera's Labs
Step inside Ancera’s lab in Branford, CT, where a team of scientists and engineers are bringing better data to the poultry industry and meet three of those team members who are leading these efforts.
Ancera
November 5, 2024
Publication
November 5, 2024
Inside Ancera's Labs
Step inside Ancera’s laboratories in Branford, CT, where a team of scientists and engineers are bringing better data to the poultry industry.
Meet three people who are leading these efforts:
Ancera builds food defense systems that deliver critical data to our customers worldwide. Here’s how we do it, and a sneak peak at a few things we're working on.
Better Data with PIPER
Let’s zoom in on one piece of Ancera’s lab technology portfolio, PIPER, a proprietary diagnostic system designed for accuracy and scalability.
"Our PIPER-based testing is proprietary to Ancera, but we deploy it around the world. It's highly scalable and keeps all of that sample information tracked within the PIPER system itself, ensuring the customer sample is flowing through the lab and the data is linked back to the original metadata,” Zwilling said.
PIPER’s seamless integration of sample data improves traceability and data continuity across all regions and poultry complexes. When each sample can be meticulously tracked all the way from collection to analysis, customers get useful, actionable data.
Speed is a Competitive Advantage
Speed is a defining factor in diagnostics, and it’s something that's extremely difficult for traditional labs to deliver. Ancera’s food defense system often delivers same-shift results.
"Because of the PIPER technology, Ancera is able to deliver results in hours or days where others may take weeks or months," Zwilling said.
Modular, On-Site Automation
Ancera’s automation systems are modular and adaptable to meet the evolving regulatory demands on the poultry industry. Unlike traditional, static lab setups, Ancera’s modular systems can be configured to suit a number of testing applications and deployed directly on-site, right where they are needed.
"What we're trying to do is create a modular, very flexible automation system that can run a multitude of things and can be deployed on sites... so we can deploy it as close to the sample as possible again to get results as soon as possible,” Moscato said.
Static labs inherently face delays in transporting samples to centralized testing locations, but Ancera’s approach to modular automation eliminates this logistic bottleneck. By bringing the lab to the sample, shipping delays are eliminated, and results are reported in real-time.
Automation for Consistency and Accuracy
Ancera is focused on reducing human error and guaranteeing consistency. That's why we think automation is the future of poultry production. Automation is designed to minimize manual intervention, and Ancera’s new automated lab environment achieves higher accuracy and repeatability compared to traditional, more manual methods.
“One of the benefits is definitely that there’s a reduction in human error… it’s not dependent on having the exact same technician or training, and we expect a lot lower error and higher repeatability because of that,” Moscato said.
Data-Driven Transparency: Trust the Process
Transparency is a cornerstone of Ancera’s approach to data. We're a trusted partner for customers who want answers about how their data is collected, processed, and analyzed. This trust is built into every step of the process.
“Transparency in a laboratory process comes back to our people. We're not selling tests, we're selling data. We're happy to show exactly what's happening in the lab. And that differs from other companies doing field trials that might be more of a black box approach where it's just samples in and data comes out,” Zwilling said.
Our clients have our number, and we pick up…
“We collaborate throughout the process. Our lab here in Brantford routinely communicates with customers directly with help from our sales team, our product team, and our data team,” Zwilling said.
Integrated Systems Paint the Whole Picture
Ancera’s integrated systems combine hardware, software, and scientific expertise to turn raw sample data into insights that poultry companies can use to make targeted interventions and protect their profit.
“What we’re trying to do is take all data sources available, combine them with our proprietary hard sciences and diagnostics, and paint a whole picture, rather than just a single time point,” Dhlakama said.
Combining multiple data sources allows Ancera to deliver layered insights so customers can get a better understanding of trends and operational patterns over time.
Assay Validation and Portfolio Expansion
Accuracy and reliability are two major priorities at Ancera's labs. Every new assay undergoes testing against established industry standards.
“For every assay, we go through verification and validation, comparing to the gold standard. Even if our method shifts the paradigm, we want to provide customers data that shows how our test compares to the standard,” Dhlakama said.
Ancera’s R&D team is already developing new assays to detect and quantify a broader range of pathogens and microorganisms.
“We’re proving out the concept now and starting small, but once that picks up, we’re excited to continue expanding,” Moscato said.
Lead, Don’t Follow
Ancera’s labs in Branford, CT are leading the poultry industry into an era of high-speed automation and data transparency. We built the PIPER platform, developed novel assays, and implemented modular automation systems. Now, our scientists and engineers are building food defense systems to help customers make faster, more informed decisions with reliable data.
Schedule a meeting today to learn more about Ancera.
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