bio.display

If the experiment verifications go right, and we can really change the level of fluorescence in bacteria by dropping acid on it, then the issue of dropping liquids on specific locations on a 2D area still needs to be solved. While this is a more traditional challenge, it’s not as easy as it seems.

But it’s a good thing that lots of DIY 3D printer movements are around by now, some of them are quite open, with blueprints, sourc code, etc. Finally, the physical world is opening up on the concept of sharing the source.

I’ve look at the some already, and they seem promising. After all, these are 3D plotters basically, and I only need to reduce their complexity to 2D – and there I go. Promising leads are:

• RepRap – a 3D printer that can partially build itself, and is on displayed at the London Science Museum
• Fab@Home – a much hyped 3D printer originating from around the Cornell University. The Waag FabLab here in Amsterdam has one of these
• CandyFab – a 3D printer that uses sugar as its medium, and is made of two used 1D plotter constructs
• ScribblerBot – a 2D plotter that is made as a physical extension for the Scribbler project