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Boost your lab's productivity.

Fractional, hands-on support to solve operations and compliance bottlenecks.

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Business outcomes I deliver

Brooks Bio provides fractional operations and compliance support, and builds custom tools, so your lab produces more without adding headcount.

Glass bottles moving along a filling line

Increase revenue

More batches released and more client projects delivered, on time.

Pipetting robot in a clinical laboratory

Reduce costs

Cut the hours lost to manual data entry, ordering and paperwork.

Automated biofoundry workcell

Scale throughput

Grow output without growing headcount.

Growth charts on a tablet in front of trading screens

Increase valuation

Build the systems, data and compliance record investors look for.

Worked with teams in cell and gene therapy, drug discovery and engineering biology.

Serna Bio Uncommon Bio Imperial College London Autolus Bio Products Laboratory Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Native Labs Innovate UK

Where a scientist's week goes, before and after.

Before Brooks Bio

50% in the lab
50% in the lab50% admin and ops

After Brooks Bio

90% on science
90% science10% admin and ops

Typical productivity gains after working with me reported by the teams I have worked with.

Success Stories

Scientist pipetting samples into a labelled tube rack
Serna Bio · LIMS and automation

A fully traceable sample system, then automated

Thousands of frozen samples reconciled into a working LIMS in two weeks, with procurement automated end to end.

Engineer operating a stainless steel bioreactor in a pilot plant
Uncommon Bio · Pilot plant build

Empty office to regulated pilot plant in six months

A cultivated-meat pilot plant designed, procured, qualified and running engineering batches on deadline.

Cell culture work in a biosafety cabinet
Imperial College London · Scale-up and AI

Scaling an iPSC-cardiomyocyte process with AI

A bench protocol turned into a documented 1L process, with an image-based AI assay that replaced destructive testing.

Serna Bio · Embedded, on site · 3 months

Organising thousands of frozen samples into a fully traceable system, then automating it to scale.

The client

Serna Bio is a Y Combinator-backed RNA drug-discovery company using AI to accelerate discovery. Fast-growing and approaching their Series A, they needed to sharply increase experimental throughput to hit that inflection point.

The challenge

A recent lab move had left thousands of samples and reagents disorganised, with no inventory system and no processes to manage them. Scientists were losing time hunting for reagents and running out at critical moments. With back-to-back experimental campaigns and live customer projects, the team had no capacity to build a lasting solution themselves.

What I did

  • Mapped the scientists' workflows to understand what mattered and what could be retired.
  • Reviewed the existing tech stack and selected Labguru as the LIMS that best fit their setup.
  • Built the schemas and database structure, and mapped the physical lab and freezer space with unique identifiers and locations.
  • Reconciled thousands of samples and reorganised them using lean principles, with the most-used items placed for fastest access, plus a colour-coded labelling system.
  • Deployed a Slack-to-procurement automation: a scientist posts an order in Slack, a storage location is generated, the order is routed through Amici, and confirmations and tracking flow back automatically.

The outcome

  • Thousands of samples reconciled in two weeks.
  • Freezer capacity doubled through reorganisation.
  • New LIMS implemented, deployed and the team trained in one week.
  • Around three hours per scientist per week saved through automation.
Uncommon Bio · Design, build and commissioning lead · 6 months

Empty office to regulated pilot plant in six months.

The client

Uncommon Bio, formerly Higher Steaks, is a cultivated-meat company backed by tier-one investors, using iPSC and RNA-reprogramming technology to produce cultivated pork belly and bacon.

The challenge

To unlock the next phase of investment, the company needed to submit a Novel Foods application proving its process and facility were food-safe. That meant building a pilot plant capable of running engineering batches against a hard six-month deadline. The starting point was an empty office: no facility, no equipment, no process. The target was a working, FSA-compliant pilot plant and three engineering batches yielding over 15 kg of material.

What I did

  • Designed the physical plant layout for clean, logical flow across the facility.
  • Wrote User Requirement Specifications for the bioreactors, PAT and ancillary equipment, then ran a structured procurement campaign scoring every option against them.
  • Led equipment qualification throughout: HAZOP studies, FAT, SAT and full IQ/OQ/PQ.
  • Built the operational backbone from scratch: SOPs, operator training, and an assembly station for sterile single-use bioreactor components.
  • Implemented the quality and safety framework: cleaning and environmental-monitoring procedures, COSHH and risk assessments, H&S policy, cleaning schedules and maintenance logs.

The outcome

  • Empty office to a fully functional, regulated pilot plant in six months, on deadline.
  • All three engineering batches delivered, yielding over 15 kg of material and proving manufacturability.
  • Novel Foods application submitted on time, hitting a critical investment inflection point.
  • Process foundations, quality systems and a trained team that let the company scale into its next phase.
Imperial College London · Retained process development and AI lead · 6 months

Scaling an iPSC-cardiomyocyte process with AI.

The client

The Bernardo Group at Imperial College London has developed a world-class protocol for producing cardiomyocytes from iPSCs.

The challenge

To secure further funding, the group needed to demonstrate a credible pathway to scalable manufacturing, a problem the field has not yet solved. The plan was to use AI to optimise and scale the process, but that required a large, high-quality, expertly labelled imaging dataset generated under controlled conditions, which the group did not have.

What I did

  • Tech transfer: moved the protocol into a dedicated production lab, set up suppliers, and ran a comparison study proving the material matched the original.
  • Documentation: authored SOPs, Batch Manufacturing Records, Bills of Materials and an operator training curriculum.
  • Scale-up: developed a scalable version of the process to 1 L.
  • AI strategy: designed the hypothesis that culture health and cardiomyocyte maturity could be predicted from microscope images alone, and built the labelling taxonomy and training data while running the process.
  • Delivery: owned the scientific requirements and directed a specialist ML partner who built the segmentation pipeline, then handed the group a self-serve labelling platform.

The outcome

  • A robust, scalable 1 L process yielding substantially more material than the bench protocol.
  • A trained AI model that quantifies culture health and maturity from images alone, replacing slower, destructive methods.
  • A self-serve labelling platform the group now uses as an ongoing assay.
  • Faster process development and a demonstrated pathway to scalable manufacturing for the funding case.

How I Work
Diagnose. Embed. Hand over.

No retainer required to start. Most clients begin with a free half-day audit and a scoped two-week block.

1

DiagnoseFind what is actually costing you time, money and risk.

On the shop floor I map your processes and data flow, from freezer to spreadsheet to batch record. You get a prioritised list of what to fix first, and what to leave alone.

Deliverable: written audit report
2

EmbedI work alongside your team.

I work alongside your team to directly address the bottleneck, hands on: reconciling inventory, configuring the LIMS, writing SOPs, project-managing a move or grant deliverable, or clearing backlogs of paperwork.

I then build bespoke tools around your workflows, such as automated ordering, data pipelines, data analytics and lab inventory systems.

Deliverable: working systems in your lab
3

Hand overHand over enduring systems.

Every deliverable and system is documented, trained and owned by your team. The measure of a good engagement is that the fix is still running a year later without me.

Deliverable: trained team, self-sustaining systems

I build around the tools you already use.

New systems are integrated into the software your team already works in, from LIMS and ordering to finance, sales, chat and data analysis.

Benchling
Labguru
Xero
Sage
HubSpot
Salesforce
MyAmici
Microsoft Teams
Slack
Notion
Google Workspace
Microsoft 365
Claude
OpenAI
Microsoft Copilot
MATLAB
Python
JMP
R
Veeva
MasterControl
TrackWise
Q-Pulse

Lab Brain
Bespoke tools, built around your workflows.

One on-site database under every tool, so everything is connected and nothing is lost. Results, stock, equipment and time are all integrated, which means faster decisions, fewer surprises, and a lab that gets more productive over time.

Improvements On-site database Capture Process Monitor Log Report Audit Supply Equip Business development

Click a module to see what it does.

Every tool writes to one on-site database and reads from it, so no more copying and pasting, and every number traces back to the file it came from. Audit finds the first thing to fix, Supply and Equip run the lab, the cycle runs the science and business development informs decision making.

Book a free discovery call

Guides, demos and blog

Free resources built from real challenges my clients have faced in the lab.

FAQs

Louis Brookstein in the lab at Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst
What does the free audit involve?
Up to half a day on site, or a video call if you are outside the UK. I walk the lab with your team, follow a sample from arrival to result, and look at how ordering, equipment, SOPs and data are actually handled day to day. I also aim to understand where the most time is being sunk by manual and admin tasks. Within a week you get a short written report ranking the two or three operational problems costing you the most, with a recommended first fix. There is no obligation to go further.
What kinds of labs do you work with?
Pre-seed to Series B life-science companies, CROs, CDMOs and academic groups. Verticals include cell and gene therapy, RNA and drug discovery, cultivated meat, agritech, food, and engineering biology. If your lab has frozen samples, instruments, reagents to order and compliance paperwork, the approach applies. If you are not sure, please feel free to reach out.
How do engagements work, and what do they cost?
After the audit you get a fixed-scope proposal within two working days. Most clients start with a two-week block, on site and embedded with the team, then extend by scoped project or a few days a month. Pricing is per block or per project rather than a retainer, so you know the cost before work starts. Work is often deliverable within an existing Innovate UK work package.
What systems do you actually implement?
Whatever the audit shows will pay back fastest. Typically that is a LIMS or ELN (Labguru, Benchling and others) with the sample and freezer map built properly, automated ordering and inventory tied to your tools and suppliers, data pipelines from instruments to dashboards, equipment automation, and the SOP, COSHH and batch-record backbone that keeps it all compliant. I am vendor-neutral and pick the tool that fits your stage.
Can you work in regulated or GMP environments?
Yes. My background is cell and gene therapy manufacturing, GMP module commissioning and Grade A isolators, and plasma-derived products, plus building a food-safe pilot plant for a Novel Foods submission. Qualification (URS, FAT, SAT, IQ/OQ/PQ), HAZOP, environmental monitoring and quality systems are included in the work if needed.
How quickly will we see results?
I optimise for quick wins and time to ROI, which tends to land inside the first two weeks: samples reconciled, a working inventory, or automated ordering that saves your scientists hundreds of hours. Larger projects, such as a lab build or a scaled process, take months and are planned around your deadline.
Will we depend on you afterwards?
No. Every system is fully documented and your team is trained to run it, with full ownership handed over before I leave. The measure of a good engagement is that you do not need to call me again for the same problem.
Where are you based, and do you travel?
I have an office at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and work on site anywhere in the country; being physically in the lab is most of the value. For teams outside the UK I run the audit and systems work remotely, with site visits at key points.

Tell me where the hours go. I'll show you how to get them back.

A free half-day audit and a written report on where to start optimising your lab. No retainer, no obligation.

Start with a short discovery call: tell me what is slowing the lab down and we will see whether an audit is the right next step.

Book a free discovery call

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