hardware.html

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title: Klavins Lab | Hardware
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		<h1>Hardware</h1>
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					<a href='https://depts.washington.edu/soslab/turbidostat/pmwiki/'><img class='software-icon' src='images/turbidostat.png'></img></a>
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				<div class='software-name'>The Turbidostat</div>
				<div class='software-tag'>Modular, configurable, printable, small.</div>
				<div class='software-description'>
					<p>A turbidostat is a feedback controlled continuous culture device that keeps cell
						density constant. Commercially available turbidostats are not designed with academic
						research goals (such as long term evolution or synthetic circuit characterization) in
						mind and as a result tend to be too large and have inflexible proprietary software.
						We've designed an inexpensive, open source, 3D printable, eight vessel turbidostat that can be
						constructed with commodity parts and open source circuits. Our design is programmed
						with an open source extensible Python interface that can used to expand the
						functionality beyond a standard turbidostat. Presently we are using this device to
						grow microbes in a constant environment for days to weeks while sending chemical
						signals to characterize gene circuits in bacteria or yeast. Our collaborators at UW,
						Rice and UC Berkeley have assembled copies own using our designs with their own
						modifications. Complete designs and assembly instructions can be found at the
						<a href='https://depts.washington.edu/soslab/turbidostat/pmwiki/'>turbidostat wiki</a>.</p>
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				<div class='software-name'>Robots</div>
				<div class='software-tag'>Robots, laboratory automation, and more.</div>
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					<p>We have made many robot testbeds in which robots self
						assemble or self organize. In one such testbed, triangular
						'programmable parts' were stirred randomly on an air table and
						self-assembled into preprogrammed shapes. In another, our
						'robotic chemistry' parts behaved like molecules in a
						chemical reaction that was controllable by light
						input. Designs and specifications for these robots, that you
						can read about on our <a href='publications.html'>publications page</a>, are available
						upon request.
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