Open-source, community-driven microfluidics with Metafluidics
Name
nbt.3873.pdf
Size
3.93 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
4c25cb8de453d510c089cc961a0fd972
Author(s)
Kong, David S
Thorsen, Todd A.
Babb, Jonathan
Wick, Scott T.
Gam, Jeremy Jonathan
Weiss, Ron
Carr Sr, Peter A.
Date Issued
June 2017
Journal
Nature Biotechnology
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Citation
Kong, David S et al. “Open-Source, Community-Driven Microfluidics with Metafluidics.” Nature Biotechnology 35, 6 (June 2017): 523–529 © 2017 Nature America, Inc
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Microfluidic devices have the potential to automate and miniaturize biological experiments, but open-source sharing of device designs has lagged behind sharing of other resources such as software. Synthetic biologists have used microfluidics for DNA assembly, cell-free expression, and cell culture, but a combination of expense, device complexity, and reliance on custom set-ups hampers their widespread adoption. We present Metafluidics, an open-source, community-driven repository that hosts digital design files, assembly specifications, and open-source software to enable users to build, configure, and operate a microfluidic device. We use Metafluidics to share designs and fabrication instructions for both a microfluidic ring-mixer device and a 32-channel tabletop microfluidic controller. This device and controller are applied to build genetic circuits using standard DNA assembly methods including ligation, Gateway, Gibson, and Golden Gate. Metafluidics is intended to enable a broad community of engineers, DIY enthusiasts, and other nontraditional participants with limited fabrication skills to contribute to microfluidic research.
MIT Department
Lincoln Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1038/NBT.3873
