Team:BostonU HW/Contribution
Contribution
Our Contribution
Through Project MARS, the BostonU HW Team has provided three key contributions towards increasing ease of accessibility and use of microfluidics in the synthetic biology community.
MARS Repository
The MARS repository benefits the greater synthetic biology community through hosting the designs of nine chips that are designed to perform essential synbio procedures. These chips are all fabricated using our rapid prototyping system, and come with full documentation for usage. Chips are separated into three categories, isolation, modification and quantification, which can come together to replicate complex synthetic biology protocols easily on microfluidic devices using a standardised fabrication method. This provides a highly accessible and relevant platform for synthetic biologists to access, fabricate, test and integrate microfluidics into their lab workflow.
While these microfluidic devices have only been tested with colored water and oil, they provide a framework that can be built upon by future iGEM teams to allow for biological testing and optimization.
While these microfluidic devices have only been tested with colored water and oil, they provide a framework that can be built upon by future iGEM teams to allow for biological testing and optimization.
Fluid Functionality
Our fluid functionality checklist allows synthetic biologists to grade microfluidic devices fabricated from the MARS archive or designed using our software workflow. Through creating and introducing a standardised method of analysing device functionality, synthetic biologists interested in utilizing microfluidics can quantitatively and qualitatively rate their chips prior to utilising them in laboratory procedures.
Microfluidics 101
In order to overcome the knowledge barrier that exists between synthetic biology and microfluidics, MARS hosts a variety of educational materials aimed at synbio researchers interested in using our workflow.
Microfluidics 101 focuses on providing easy to access, clear and relevant material regarding our continuous flow microfluidics devices. We have also included detailed video tutorials and written protocols outlining how to fabricate using Makerfluidics.
All three components of MARS come together to help make microfluidics a more accessible and practical tool for synthetic biology labs.
All three components of MARS come together to help make microfluidics a more accessible and practical tool for synthetic biology labs.
