Biofuser: a multi-source data fusion platform for fusing the data of fermentation process devices

In the past decade, the progress of traditional bioprocess optimization technique has lagged far behind the rapid development of synthetic biology, which has hindered the industrialization process of synthetic biology achievements. Recently, more and more advanced equipment and sensors have been applied for bioprocess online inspection to improve the understanding and optimization efficiency of the process. This has resulted in large amounts of process data from various sources with different communication protocols and data formats, requiring the development of techniques for integration and fusion of these heterogeneous data. Here we describe a multi-source fusion platform (Biofuser) that is designed to collect and process multi-source heterogeneous data. Biofuser integrates various data to a unique format that facilitates data visualization, further analysis, model construction, and automatic process control. Moreover, Biofuser also provides additional APIs that support machine learning or deep learning using the integrated data. We illustrate the application of Biofuser with a case study on riboflavin fermentation process development, demonstrating its ability in device faulty identification, critical process factor identification, and bioprocess prediction. Biofuser has the potential to significantly enhance the development of fermentation optimization techniques and is expected to become an important infrastructure for artificial intelligent integration into bioprocess optimization, thereby promoting the development of intelligent biomanufacturing.