DIY lab equipment, courtesy of 3D printing
Imagine a world where lab workers can create their own custom equipment in-house, using either their own designs or ones they've downloaded. A glimpse of that world appears in today's issue ofScience, provided by 3D printing, the relatively low-cost fabrication technique where ceramics, polymers, and other materials are deposited in layers to build up a three-dimensional shape.
A commercial centrifuge for biology labs may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, but today's issue of Science describes a printed alternative. The DremelFuge is simply a power tool attachment that holds centrifuge tubes. It costs only a little more than the Dremel drill that powers it, once the 3D printer is paid for.
See the full story here: http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/09/diy-lab-equipment-courtesy-of-3d-printing/