case-study

Case Study: ImmuneBridge Transitions from Point Product to Enterprise-Class ELN Solution with Sapio Sciences

Executive Summary

ImmuneBridge, a leading biotechnology company developing allogeneic cellular immunotherapies, sought to modernize its data management by transitioning from a legacy ELN to the Sapio ELN. This move to a scalable, flexible, and configurable no-code platform has enabled ImmuneBridge to manage, share, and analyze critical scientific data at scale. Supported by Sapio’s expert team, the Sapio ELN has streamlined sample management and tracking, improved research productivity and quality, and provided a unified platform that adapts to the company’s evolving needs, accelerating its research efforts to fight cancer.

The Customer: ImmuneBridge

Company Overview

Founded in 2018, ImmuneBridge is a leading biotech company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cellular immunotherapies to treat cancer. Its initial approach deploys natural killer (NK) immunotherapies originating from CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. These NK cells have a unique ability to recognize and attack tumor cells in healthy immune systems, and initial data suggest they are a promising cellular path for safe, scalable, next-generation immunotherapies. The company intends to use its cellular discovery platform and expansion technology in collaboration with organizations that share its mission to scale cell therapy and save lives faster.

Background

ImmuneBridge is a leading biotechnology company developing a new generation of allogeneic cellular immunotherapies to fight cancer. To optimize its operations and accelerate its research efforts, the company sought to modernize its data management systems by transitioning from its legacy electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) to a modern, unified platform from Sapio Sciences. 

The Challenge: Overcoming Limitations of a Legacy ELN

As a forward-thinking, science-driven organization, ImmuneBridge is constantly seeking ways to optimize its operations and accelerate its research efforts, so it decided to transition from its legacy ELN vendor to the innovative ELN solution offered by Sapio Sciences. ImmuneBridge’s former ELN, while initially lower cost, needed more functionality to meet ImmuneBridge’s unique needs as an early-stage startup and support its growth into the clinic.

In particular, ImmuneBridge was disappointed with the solution’s capabilities to support its needs and that it wasn’t receiving adequate customer support from its prior ELN vendor to help them configure and adapt the system as its scientific needs changed.

The Solution: Sapio ELN for Scalable and Flexible Data Management

Why Sapio Sciences Was Chosen

ImmuneBridge evaluated multiple options to replace its legacy system and chose Sapio ELN – a unified platform that can handle all its current data management needs with no-code configurability to adapt as experiments change. ImmuneBridge was especially impressed, both during evaluation and as the system was configured and rolled out to scientists, with Sapio’s expert customer support team of business analysts, solution architects, and project managers. The combined team guided ImmuneBridge’s scientists and IT team through the process of configuring and implementing the solution, taking the time to understand ImmuneBridge’s unique science and workflows.

“Sapio’s solution is backed by an expert team that understood our requirements and ensured the system will be able to scale with us as we grow,” said Jesse Cotari, chief scientific officer and co-founder of ImmuneBridge. “It’s a true laboratory platform that allows our scientists to confidently track sample life history and processing across different teams.”

Implementation Overview

ImmuneBridge’s implementation process was characterized by a close collaboration with Sapio’s expert customer support team, including business analysts, solution architects, and project managers. This combined team guided ImmuneBridge’s scientists and IT personnel through the configuration and implementation of the Sapio ELN. They dedicated time to thoroughly understand ImmuneBridge’s unique scientific needs and workflows, ensuring the solution was tailored to meet both immediate requirements and future growth. This consistent support and timely addressing of feedback were crucial in configuring the system and rolling it out to scientists.

Key Features

Critical functionality delivered by the Sapio ELN includes:

• No-code configurability that makes the ELN easily usable by scientists for data management, data access/search, experiment tracking, and data visibility and enables analysis.
• Sample and materials management.
• Easy integration of various technologies, including different software systems and instrumentation such as label printers, without changing the ELN’s core platform.
• Built-in science-aware™ tools and scientific data structures that can capture data regardless of its volume or velocity.
• Prebuilt, out-of-the-box apps and tools for bioanalysis, in vivo study tracking, flow cytometry, and more.

The Results: Enhanced Data Management, Productivity, and Scalability

Sapio’s ELN provided ImmuneBridge with excellent customer support, a unified platform, flexibility, and a dynamic system that handles the company’s needs as it grows. “We chose Sapio because it provides a no-code ELN that quickly flexes and scales to our needs with an expert team to support us on our way,” said Cotari.

Streamlined Sample Management and Inventory Control

“Sapio was also very responsive to our requirements,” said Cotari. In particular, Sapio’s system has streamlined sample management and tracking. Built-in sample management capabilities enable scientists to track the samples used and created within experiments across multiple teams and processes. “A visual, out-of-the-box view of our entire inventory means we can quickly see the entire history of any given sample with a simple keyword search that takes seconds to retrieve results,” said Cotari. “The sample management functionality is saving us time and helping us maintain quality and accuracy while reducing inventory costs.”

“The sample management functionality is saving us time and helping us maintain quality and accuracy while reducing inventory costs.” Jesse Cotari, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, ImmuneBridge

Accelerated Research and Improved Productivity

The fast, customizable iterations made possible by the Sapio ELN has enabled ImmuneBridge to rapidly change or add functionality without changing the core product. “In some cases, Sapio’s customer success team has been able to address new requirements for us in less than one week,” said Cotari. As a result, ImmuneBridge scientists have been able to add new metrics or tweak experiments, data tables, and protocols on the fly. This has helped improve the productivity and quality of ImmuneBridge’s research projects. With Sapio’s ELN, scientists can easily capture data off instruments and match it with information in ImmuneBridge’s computational database to facilitate data analysis, improve lab efficiency, and motivate scientists in their work.

Customer Quotes

“Sapio’s solution is backed by an expert team that understood our requirements and ensured the system will be able to scale with us as we grow. It’s a true laboratory platform that allows our scientists to confidently track sample life history and processing across different teams.” – Jesse Cotari, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, ImmuneBridge

“We chose Sapio because it provides a no-code ELN that quickly flexes and scales to our needs with an expert team to support us on our way.” – Jesse Cotari, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, ImmuneBridge

“Sapio was also very responsive to our requirements.” – Jesse Cotari, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, ImmuneBridge

“A visual, out-of-the-box view of our entire inventory means we can quickly see the entire history of any given sample with a simple keyword search that takes seconds to retrieve results. The sample management functionality is saving us time and helping us maintain quality and accuracy while reducing inventory costs.” – Jesse Cotari, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, ImmuneBridge

“In some cases, Sapio’s customer success team has been able to address new requirements for us in less than one week.” – Jesse Cotari, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, ImmuneBridge

Lessons for Biotech Labs

ImmuneBridge’s experience offers critical insights for other biotechnology companies seeking to optimize operations and accelerate research through ELN adoption:

• Prioritize Scalability and Flexibility: Choose an ELN solution that is inherently scalable and flexible, capable of adapting to evolving scientific needs and supporting growth from early-stage development into clinical phases.
• Value No-Code Configurability: Opt for ELNs with no-code configurability to empower scientists to easily manage data, track experiments, and adapt workflows on the fly without requiring core product changes.
• Seek Comprehensive Customer Support: Partner with a vendor that provides expert customer support, including business analysts, solution architects, and project managers, who can understand unique scientific requirements and ensure timely configuration and implementation.
• Embrace Unified Platforms: A unified ELN platform that integrates sample and materials management provides end-to-end visibility and confident tracking of sample life history across different teams and processes.
• Leverage Built-in Scientific Tools: Utilize ELNs with built-in science-aware™ tools, scientific data structures, and prebuilt apps for specific analyses (e.g., bioanalysis, flow cytometry) to efficiently capture and analyze diverse data volumes.
• Optimize Sample Management: Implement ELN solutions with robust sample management capabilities that streamline tracking, improve data quality and accuracy, and reduce inventory costs.
• Facilitate Rapid Iteration and Adaptation: Choose a system that enables fast, customizable iterations, allowing for quick changes or additions of functionality to protocols and experiments, thereby improving overall research productivity and quality.

Conclusion

ImmuneBridge has successfully transformed its data management by transitioning to the Sapio ELN, moving from a limited point product to a robust, enterprise-class solution. This partnership has equipped ImmuneBridge with a scalable, flexible, and no-code configurable ELN, backed by expert support. As a result, ImmuneBridge can effectively manage, share, and analyze critical scientific data at scale, streamline sample management, and rapidly adapt to evolving research needs, accelerating its mission to develop next-generation cellular immunotherapies to fight cancer.

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FAQ

Q: Why did ImmuneBridge replace its ELN?
A: Its legacy system lacked scalability, flexibility, and vendor support for evolving scientific workflows.

Q: What made Sapio ELN a better fit?
A: No-code configurability, expert implementation support, and prebuilt tools for assays like flow cytometry.

Q: What did scientists gain?
A: Real-time inventory tracking, visual sample history, and fast iteration of experiments and protocols.

Q: What’s the strategic impact?
A: A scalable data backbone that reduces inventory costs and accelerates cancer immunotherapy research.