A DIY approach to laboratory automation
ADIY project provides researchers with the equipment they need at a low price. But building your own technology requires investment and time, and it’s never easy.
A system of reagent bottles and exposed circuit boards, connected to a laptop, lay quietly. But as soon as you give an order, this arrangement will immediately come to life. A microfluidic pump transfers the culture medium from the 2-liter bottle to the vial containing the bacteria. Other pumps remove waste from the culture. Under each vial, a magnet with a computer fan attached mixes the culture with a stir bar, while other devices control the temperature and optically record the density of the culture. Learn about eVOLVER, an automated system for growing bacteria or yeast.