This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Studying microorganisms requires instruments with extremely high precision. Such instruments are expensive and take a long time to manufacture using traditional methods, which has slowed progress in the field.
It has also been difficult for the biologists who use these instruments to participate directly in their development. Using standard consumer-grade 3D printers, Daniel Nilsson at the Department of Physics has shown that it is possible to independently develop advanced, customized research instruments. "We have developed a set of instruments that can be manufactured directly in the laboratory by anyone.
We hope this will make biological research less expensive and more accessible to a larger number of researchers," he says. Examples of the tools developed by the researchers include instruments for detecting and manipulating harmful bacteria using laser light, as well as tools for cultivating and measuring the properties of biofilms. Biofilms are slimy structures that bacteria can form on surfaces and that cause major problems in areas such as food production and health care.
A key idea behind the work is that researchers should be able to build, adapt and further develop equipment based on their own needs, rather than rely on expensive commercial solutions. "These methods enable a more collaborative and needs-driven approach to development within the research community," says Nilsson. The thesis also includes a practical guide showing how researchers and other interested users can design 3D-printed tools and integrate open-source electronics.
"The same methods can be used both for advanced research instruments and for everyday technological solutions in the laboratory," says Nilsson. Thesis: Democratizing biophysical instrumentation: development of open-source tools using additive manufacturing Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space.
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