One goal of our lab is to share simple, inexpensive, and hopefully powerful tools for biological research. Here are a few:
Buz Barstow and Michael developed Knockout Sudoku, a method for the construction of whole-genome knockout collections for a wide range of microorganisms with as little as three weeks of dedicated labor and at a cost of approximately $10,000.
Buz's lab made a step-by-step protocol for Knockout Sudoku
Michael, along with Tami Lieberman and Hattie Chung in the Kishony lab, and Sergei Kryazhimskiy in Michael Desai's lab developed a protocol for running Nextera XP genomic library preparation at vastly smaller volumes. When run in high-throughput this allows preparation of genomic DNA for sequencing for under $10 a sample.
Step-by-step protocol for inexpensive library prep
Remy Chait and Michael in the Kishony lab built a high-throughput fluorescent imaging platform using a consumer camera, LEDs, and filters. The system can be augmented with a robotic arm for high-throughput use.
Macroscope parts list and photos (Open Wetware)
Michael, Tami Lieberman, and many others in the Kishony lab built the MEGA-plate, a giant petri dish for visualizing and studying microbial evolution.
MEGA-plate building information (Open Wetware)