Elegant Solutions for Biological Discovery
Altamont Bio develops advanced, accessible laboratory tools that accelerate biotechnology research, education, and production. Our flagship Mini Growth Monitor (MGM) is a programmable, real-time microbial growth instrument that delivers bioreactor level insight using a conventional culture tube. Designed for affordability and scientific rigor, the MGM expands access to essential capabilities in genetic engineering, protein production, and hands on learning.
Built with embedded sensing, control, and programmability, the MGM can operate as a standalone device or as a modular component within an AI driven autonomous laboratory platform. This enables continuous monitoring, adaptive experimentation, and automated decision making across microbial workflows.
By combining innovative engineering with cost effective design, Altamont Bio empowers scientists, educators, and innovators to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and stay at the forefront of modern biotechnology.
The Altamont Hills, particularly the Altamont Pass, have become a focal point where nature and scientific endeavors intersect.
The Mini Growth Monitor (MGM)
Your Personal Bioreactor
Standard MGM uses a conventional 14-ml culture tube.
Advanced MGM uses a conventional 14-ml culture tube or a 50 ml tube.
Advanced MGM uses a conventional 14-ml culture tube or a 50 ml tube.
The MGM
Built for Discovery
The Mini Growth Monitor is Altamont Bio’s compact, next‑generation platform for real‑time microbial growth, programmable cell manipulation, and the future of accessible bioprocessing. It merges continuous optical sensing with cell manipulation, giving users the power to both observe and influence biology in a single, affordable device. See the applications page.
Researchers gain continuous growth data and the ability to pair manual and semi-automated manipulation steps with precise timing, speeding genome engineering, expression optimization, metabolic assays, and exploratory biology.
Educators get real‑time visualization and simple manipulation workflows that make microbial behavior and experimental design intuitive for students.
Startups and community labs can access bioreactor‑level insight and flexible manipulation options without the infrastructure normally required for automated cell handling.
Established companies can shift routine growth and manipulation tasks and standardize early‑stage experiments across teams and sites.
Engineered Differently
Real‑time growth intelligence — High‑resolution OD data reveals culture behavior as it unfolds.
Active manipulation — Timed or conditional actuation enables perturbations and inductions for manual and semi-automated experimental control.
Frictionless workflow — Standard tubes, minimal setup, and intuitive software make advanced biology accessible anywhere.
Forward‑compatible architecture — Engineered with a modular sensing and control backbone that supports additional optical and environmental sensors and programmable features. The platform is built for remote monitoring, real‑time alerts, and off‑site control, creating a clear path toward more advanced capabilities as the system evolves.
Driving Impact
MGM collapses measurement and manipulation into one simple device, enabling richer experiments, faster iteration, and deeper biological insight. And with a roadmap that extends toward mammalian‑cell growth and control, the platform is built to scale with the next generation of biological engineering.
The Auto MGM
Modular Growth Monitor for Autonomous Labs
Compatible with robotic liquid handling platforms
The Auto MGM
Built for Integration
Auto MGM is a next generation, automation ready module that brings real time microbial growth intelligence to AI driven laboratory platforms. Built on the core technology of the Mini Growth Monitor (MGM), Auto MGM integrates embedded sensing, onboard control, and programmable operation into a compact, modular unit designed for robotic handling and continuous, unattended workflows.
Autonomous lab developers
Biotech R&D teams building closed loop workflows
Education and training programs exploring AI enabled experimentation
Early stage innovators needing scalable, low-cost automation-compatible bioreactor
Established companies for parallel cell handling and input for complex fully-automated cell to product workflows
Automation by Design
Autonomous growth monitoring — Real time optical and environmental data streamed directly into AI systems for adaptive decision making.
Closed loop experimentation — Automated adjustments to culture conditions based on model driven predictions and experimental goals.
Scalable parallelization — Modular units that can be deployed in arrays, enabling high throughput microbial workflows without the cost or footprint of traditional bioreactors.
Seamless platform integration — A form factor and API designed for robotic arms, liquid handlers, and cloud based orchestration engines.
Ready to Scale
Auto MGM transforms the MGM from a standalone instrument into a building block for fully autonomous microbial R&D. It allows AI driven systems to design, observe, interpret, and act on biological experimental execution in real time — accelerating iteration cycles, improving reproducibility, and expanding access to advanced bioprocessing capabilities.
Leadership Team
Phil Belgrader, Ph.D.
Principal
Phil has bridged cell and molecular biology with engineering for over 30 years, leading to the development of disruptive technologies for Life Sciences, Diagnostics, Forensics, and Biodefense.
Don Masquelier
Principal
Don has over 40 years of experience as an expert engineer and leader developing innovative tools, instruments, and platforms in biotechnology, life sciences, electronics, manufacturing, and embedded systems.