3D printing lab ware

I’ve been interesting in 3D printing and its application in the lab for a while now. I’ve argued elsewhere online about how I think that a 3D printer is a smart move for any lab or department, offering a handy way to easily produce a wide array of custom lab equipment. I’ve also posted on this blog in the past about my own use of 3D printing to make immune molecules and my first custom plasticware – an adapter to allow 50 ml conical use with a 15 ml tube rotater.

However I’m lucky enough to be in a lab with a PI who also sees the potential of 3D printers for a biology lab – so he bought one! This has given me more leeway to play around designing labware, as I can squeeze prints and measurements to refine models in between experiments.

I thought I’d start simply with the basics; tube racks. Or more specifically, tube holders which can be easily configured in different arrangements into racks (e.g. using something like Tinkercad, which I used to make the models). So far I’ve made holders for (micro-) centrifuge tubes of the three tube sizes most important to a wet lab biologist: 1.5 (2), 15, and 50 ml.

All of these STL models are freely available on my Thingiverse page, as are the few larger racks I’ve made and tested out, along with a few other bits and bobs. I encourage those of you out there with printers to try them out - please let me know if you do. 

More importantly, I’d invite everyone to think about what tasks in the lab could be made easier, quicker, or even possible, through the addition of pieces of plasticware that don’t currently exist. Think about them, then find someone with a printer and have a chat about making them real!