We begin by inviting scientists to submit their “dream dataset” ideas—no matter how nascent. Over 100 researchers worldwide have contributed concepts through our open submission platform. These ideas give us a real-time snapshot of where the field wants to go, and where the biggest data gaps lie.
Submitted ideas are clustered into themes. We prioritize those with broad relevance and practical feasibility. Promising ideas are matured through workshops that convene diverse stakeholders: experimentalists, ML experts, automation engineers, and funders. These in-person working sessions are designed to ensure ideas can transition from concept to execution. Final proposals undergo peer review and are published.
Align coordinates research collaborations and sponsors automated data collection with world-class facilities. This structured pathway transforms community insight into standardized, large-scale datasets that feed predictive models.
What Makes Our Roadmapping Different
- Open and scalable: Anyone can contribute ideas. We focus on data types that benefit entire fields, not just one lab.
- Community-grounded: Workshops and interviews ensure alignment with real scientific needs.
- Execution-oriented: We don’t just plan; we build. Successful roadmaps become living datasets accessible via our data portal.
- Impact-focused: Our current roadmaps address critical bottlenecks in bioengineering and synthetic biology.
This roadmapping process isn’t just how we prioritize—it’s how we co-create the future of science.
At Align, roadmapping is a collaborative engine for discovery. We bring together the scientific community to identify high-impact data opportunities that will unlock the next generation of predictive models in biology. Our process is open, inclusive, and rigorously engineered to surface the most promising ideas and make them actionable.