Fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a microscopy technique used to measure the lifetime of a fluorophore rather than its intensity. Sensitive to the sample region’s micro-environment, lifetime measurements aren’t limited to measuring molecule concentration like traditional microscopy, but can also indicate environmental effects such as pH or viscosity. Additionally, this technique is not as affected […]
Tag: Articles

A low cost microfabrication toolbox
If you are interested in working with microfluidics and are having difficulty getting started, check out a paper by Jérôme Charmet, Rui Rodrigues, Ender Yildirim, Pavan Challa, Benjamin Roberts, Robert Dallmann, and Yudan Whulanza. The paper describes cheap solutions to several chamber fabrication techniques including photolithography, micromilling, 3D printing, xurography (knife cutting) and screen-printing. The […]

A $400 SLA-3D-printed peristaltic pump for multi-channel systems
The FAST Pump is an elegant, low cost, small, and easy to fabricate alternative to commercial peristaltic pumps which will cost you between $140 to $400 depending on quality and DIY considerations. Detailed instructions on how to make the device are covered in this paper by Alexander Jönsson, Arianna Toppi, and Martin Dufva . Lab […]

Hack a kitchen scale for lab use for just $20
Common digital kitchen scales have a surprisingly high sampling rate in their sensor, but any data logging using a kitchen scale is limited to the sampling rate of the scientist writing down the data. But now, there is a preprint paper on hacking a digital kitchen scale to record data to a computer by D […]

Make a polarimeter for $350
A polarimeter is used to characterize a sample by measuring the rotation of polarized light when it interacts with the sample. They can cost upwards of ~$10,000, but a $350 DIY high-resolution polarimeter has recently been detailed in a paper by Andrew Harvie , Tom Phillips, and John deMello. The bill of materials for the […]