/u/P212121 on Reddit pointed us towards Lab Spend a website where you can enter a catalog number to see what other researchers have paid for the same item. The website does require a registration (that takes a few days) in order to use, and the only catalog numbers it has access to are from information […]
The “Merlin” system for prepping large amounts of recombinant DNA
I always find the innumerable applications for Diatomaceous Earth to be amazing. You keep rocking it little diatoms! In that vein comes a suggestion from Reddit. /u/Tetrazene suggests using the “Merlin” system for prepping large amounts of recombinant DNA: “The buffers are similar to a mini/midi/maxi kit, but they have re-usable fritted columns and use […]
Punch Card Programmable Microfluidics
Here’s a nifty idea published in PLOS by George Korir and Manu Prakash. 15 on-chip pumps controlled by a punch card cranked by hand. While the original design is specifically geared towards ease of distribution, one could replace the hand crank with a cheap stepper motor for more reliable control.
Using Pressure Cookers as Autoclaves
An autoclave, even a very small one, typically costs ~$4000. If you find yourself needing one, there’s a very old standby. For small batches of agar plates or low-volume media, you can use a pressure cooker, those wonderful commercial devices that cost ~$100. Here’s one tutorial and a quick search yields plenty of others as […]
Some Pointers from Nature
A couple days ago Nature published an article by Elie Dolgin with some ideas on getting a lab started on a budget. The article covers utilizing and bartering with core research facilities, sharing with other labs, 3D Printing, and bidding for 2nd hand items and being willing to repair them if they are defective as possible […]