Toward an open-source 3D-printable laboratory.

Premise: Low-cost, repairable lab equipment is rare within the biological sciences. By lowering the costs of entry using 3D printing and open-source hardware, our goal is to empower both amateur and professional scientists to conduct research. Methods: We developed a modular system of 3D-printable designs called COBLE (Collection of Bespoke Laboratory Equipment), including novel and remixed 3D-printable lab equipment that can be inexpensively printed, assembled, and repaired for a fraction of the cost of retail equivalents. Results: Here we present novel tools that utilize 3D printing to enable a wide range of scientific experiments. We include additional resources for scientists and labs that are interested in utilizing 3D printing for their research. Discussion: By describing the broad potential that 3D-printed designs can have in the biological sciences, we hope to inspire others to implement and improve upon these designs, improving accessibility and enabling science for all.

Easy method for six-fragment Golden Gate Assembly of modular vectors.

Efficient cloning techniques are a requirement for synthetic biology. This study provides a simplified cloning method based on Golden Gate Assembly that can be used for rapid vector construction. The building of multiple expression vectors with customizable modules is achieved in a timely manner with minimal hands-on time by removing unnecessary steps in the workflow. The authors constructed a total of 21 mammalian episomal expression vectors and conducted a fluorescence expression comparison for different regulatory region combinations post-transfection in HEK293T and HEPG2 cells. Screening revealed that using the EF-1α promoter in combination with the bovine growth hormone polyadenylation sequence seemed to perform best in the types of cells tested compared with other variants.

Engineering an incubation environment that mimics in situ conditions for in vitro coastal microbiome studies.

Coastal environments are dynamic and can vary widely on short- or long-term scales depending on location and weather. Incubation equipment that reflects these changes through programmable gradient light and temperature cycles would permit more precise in vitro coastal microbiome studies. Here we present an open-source incubation environment that mimics in situ conditions for in vitro coastal microbiome studies using a modified shaking water bath that has fully customizable temperature and light gradients that can also mimic real-time field conditions. We compared coastal microbial community profiles incubated in situ and in our build mimicking field conditions over 48 h. Analyses of congruence indicated significant overlap (p > 0.2) between microbial communities incubated in situ and in vitro at each time point.