Team Members
Edward Deumens, Jessica Johnsen, Mikayla Lamb, Carlie Taylor, Daniel Tremblay, Zachary Tupper
Abstract
The Incu–Gator is an autonomous microbioreactor developed for the UF Biofoundry with the objective of providing lab equipment at an accessible cost to researchers while emphasizing the importance of modular subsystems. The decreased price comes primarily from the use of integrated high–quality off–the–shelf components and capitalization of sub–system synergy, rather than compromising design quality. The Incu–Gator can hold a combination of six well plates or conical tube fixtures, which are agitated through the stepper motor–driven orbital vibration module. However, the module can be swapped out if the user desires other shaking patterns. The system’s fluid delivery system is comprised of two of the assembly’s subsystems: a 3–axis servo belt motor system and an attached mechanically actuated plunger. To prevent cross–contamination, there is a station that houses cleaning solution that can be flushed through the pipette to the waste disposal. The servo belt system allows for precise movement of the pipette and attached laser used for optical measurement. A sliding tray with an array of photodiodes is located under the samples, which allows for easy positioning when measuring optical density, and filters can be placed on the module to measure fluorescent intensity. The atmospheric composition is controlled using gas flow through solenoid valves and temperature is regulated through a combined heating element and compressed–refrigerant system. This closed–loop environmental control system is housed in a separate compartment to increase efficiency. All the components are controlled using an integrated raspberry pi system and bio–safety standards were taken into consideration throughout the entire design.