My First Biolab: A System for Hands-On Biology Experiments

Biology labs routinely conduct direct experimentation with living organisms. However, most high-schools are not able to engage students in such experimentation due to multiple factors: sterility, cost of equipment, cost of skilled lab assistants, and difficulty measuring micro-scale processes. We present the design and implementation of My First Biolab (MFB), a lab in a box with a novel disposable fluidic vessel (experiment in a bag) using two sheets of Polyacrylamide-Polyethylene channeling liquids via paths created with a laser-cutter. The system implementation includes a 2D magnetic peristaltic pump, a spectral sensor, and a heat transfer plate. MFB is an affordable, safe, and sterile system for hands-on experimentation with live microorganisms. Our system supports temperature control, liquid circulation, measurement of optical density, and a web interface for remote control and monitoring. Our first experiment demonstrates the three phases of bacterial growth: initial lag phase, the rapid-growth log phase, and the stationary phase.