Let’s Imagine New Frontiers

We live in a pivotal moment in human history. For the first time ever, we have the scientific knowledge and the engineering tools to understand, visualize, and ultimately redesign the building blocks of life. Groundbreaking advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, computational biology, and bioengineering will transform our society, reshape our environment, and revolutionize our economy.

As engineering-based bio platforms become more ubiquitous, they will touch every aspect of our lives. They will change how we grow food, revamp how we produce materials and energy, and shape our understanding of health and disease. We hold in our hands the tools to build a thriving future for humanity, a future where everybody can live healthy and fulfilling lives — without depleting tomorrow’s resources. At Orbem, we are pushing the boundaries of science and technology to build this future. We imagine new frontiers.

The world population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. We will have more mouths to feed, while the earth’s resources — its clean water and arable land — remain the same. That is, if they are not depleted by increasing manifestations of climate change in the form of floods, wildfires, or hurricanes. As pressure mounts to feed the world, so does the requirement of doing so sustainably: today’s food systems account for 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food production and climate protection must go hand in hand to shed light on agriculture’s grand challenge.

The global food industry needs a transformation. We need to reinvent how we produce food and rethink how to get it from the farm to the fork. It is pressing to increase the efficiency, transparency, and sustainability of our food systems. This is the only way to meet the demands of a growing population without compromising our limited natural resources.

At Orbem, we believe AI-powered imaging technology can help to sustainably feed the world. By giving food producers and consumers the ability to see inside their products in a contactless manner, we are opening the door to a world of possibilities.

For example, by gleaning inside seeds, eggs, and biological tissue, we can design a new generation of breeds to require less resources or be more resilient to climate change. In the future, we will be able to breed crops to grow quicker and with less water, we will be able to identify seeds and eggs that have been germinated and select only these for development, and will be capable of producing proteins in a laboratory environment. AI-powered imaging will give us the capability to do this earlier, faster, and automatically — empowering food producers around the world to produce more and better quality products, even under harsher conditions.

AI-powered imaging can also augment quality controls that enhance food security. The egg industry provides a fitting illustration. In order to determine the internal status or quality of an egg, egg producers select a batch of eggs, break them open, and look inside. Broken eggs cannot be sold anymore, so egg producers assume that the rest of the batch is of comparable quality. This process is ineffective and wasteful. It also increases the risk of undetected food contaminants not sampled during quality control. AI-powered imaging allows producers to analyze every sample, providing data-driven insights and improving food safety and quality. By enabling 100% quality control, industries can continue using products downstream, increasing productivity and reducing waste.

These are just two examples of the possibilities unleashed by AI-powered imaging. As technology drives the much needed food revolution, we are providing a new form of transparency: the ability to see beyond the surface. We imagine a future where we use this ability on every food sample we produce, generating sufficient data and knowledge to completely transform our food systems. By revealing what’s hidden, we can prevent waste, increase productivity, enhance food security and thus contribute to sustainably feeding the world.

Climate change is one of the toughest challenges of our generation. Global temperatures are increasing and ice sheets are melting. Governments, private organizations, and activists are calling for immediate action. As we reach a consensus that something must be done, we are now revising the dialog towards the concrete actions that need to be taken.

We must take climate action now. We have to find new ways to grow food, produce energy, and manufacture materials. It is crucial that we live up to our pacts, and drive action to mitigate emissions and help those already impacted by changing conditions. To shed light on the future of climate, we require a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to technological innovation.

At Orbem, we believe AI-powered imaging technology can accelerate the transition to a green economy. By providing access to otherwise unattainable sources of knowledge, we can improve processes in the design, manufacturing, and quality control of myriad physical inputs.

Indeed, up to 60% of the physical inputs to the world’s economy could theoretically be produced biologically. This includes biological materials we already use in our production chains — such as wood for energy or crops for food — as well non biological goods (plastics or fuels) that can be substituted biologically. As with food, AI-powered imaging can play a fundamental role in analyzing, inspecting, and classifying all of these raw samples as they are produced.

The possibility to inspect the inside of samples during production — without destroying them — is revolutionary. It will make manufacturing processes more efficient, predictable, and controllable. It will reduce delays, decrease costs, and empower producers to identify defects or deviations early in the process. By giving material and energy manufacturers superhuman vision, we can accelerate the transition to a green economy.

The next frontier is the human brain. Once we eradicate infectious diseases and get a grasp on noncommunicable diseases associated with lifestyle, our bodies will begin outliving our minds. In fact, this is already happening: Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide, and the third in the Americas and Europe. With an aging population, this trend will only increase.

To shed light on the future of health, we need to reimagine care delivery. We need to start monitoring health instead of waiting for disease to crawl in. It is urgent to invest more in prevention, screening, and early detection. By detecting disease early on, we will be able to trigger interventions and transform our healthcare system.

Imagine a world without hunger; a world where could produce everything we need — the food we eat, the materials we require, and the energy we consume — without negatively impacting our environment. Imagine humans could live longer lives with fewer diseases. This is the future we want to build. Join us.