How to convert a 3D printer to a personal automated liquid handler for life science workflows

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Laboratory Automation
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• High costs and large footprints of automated liquid handlers limit accessibility in smaller laboratories.
• There is a need for affordable, customizable, and decentralized liquid handling solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, customizable automated liquid handling system by repurposing a 3D printer.
• To evaluate the performance of the Personal Automated Liquid Handler (PALH) system in common life science assays.

Main Methods:

• Conversion of a low-cost 3D printer into a liquid handler using custom 3D-printed components and a single-channel pipet.
• Development of open-source software for personalized workflow customization.
• Validation of the PALH system through real-time PCR, end-point PCR with purification, and genomic DNA extraction.

Main Results:

• The PALH system, costing approximately $400, showed comparable performance to manual methods in real-time PCR across a range of DNA quantities.
• Successful amplification and purification of PCR products using the PALH system, with yields similar to manual techniques.
• Achieved comparable DNA yields and acceptable purity in genomic DNA extraction from whole blood compared to manual methods.

Conclusions:

• The Personal Automated Liquid Handler (PALH) system offers a cost-effective and customizable alternative to commercial liquid handlers.
• The open-source nature of the PALH system promotes community-driven innovation and protocol sharing.
• This democratizes access to automated liquid handling, particularly beneficial for resource-limited settings and smaller labs.