Team Members
Jenna Ajello, Hayley Fritz, Tyler Le, Ryan Oliver, Brooke Towns, Loc Tran, Alec Weaver
Abstract
The Semi-Autonomous Bioreactor (SABr) improves upon products currently offered in the market, offering the most autonomous machine to optimize the user experience. SABr utilizes a custom culture plate to provide the user control over ambient temperature, gas levels, light intensity, and shake patterns of individual wells, as well as the capability to monitor optical density, fluorescence intensity, and other indicative bacterial properties. Any pre-existing well plate or conical tube formation can be loaded into SABr and cultured using conditions set by the user. To create a steady temperature for cell cultivation, SABr will take advantage of Peltier Modules and will be able to both heat and cool with minimal moving parts. With 3-axis motion and a reversible pump system, fluid can be added or removed from any well. The dispenser is cleaned with a 70% ethanol solution to prevent cross contamination, after waste products are safely stored away from the culture plate and cleaned by an ultraviolet light. The removable, fully sealed 8 inch diameter opening provides the user with a view of the processes happening inside SABr, while the tabletop design makes SABr a highly user-friendly device.