Hardware |
To meet our overarching goal to interface living engineered systems with digital technology, a set of hardware and software tools is required. We developed the hardware part of our toolkit, to address our needs for technically accessible and cheap devices that allow for the precise control and monitoring of gene expression. While some of these devices are adapted from traditional apparatus of Electrochemistry, or adapted from the recent literature on initiative to build bio-digital interfaces, some of the devices we have produced and use in our work are entirely new and allow both for optimization of engeneering strategy through high throughput experiments and for basic research of IonoBiology [1]
An Arduino based device that can take AC or DC signals in inputs, gate it through 6 relays and
dispatch them individually to each of the 5 pads of the Electro-Micro-Slide to the each
individual wells of the
High Throughput Electro Actuator (HTEA)
. It is controlled by the Electro
Planner
We used this device in the screening experiment and most membrane potential
related preliminary work
An array of interchangeable electrodes matching the layout of a standard 96 well plate that can
be used to dispatch signals from the AC Dispatcher (ACD) to each of the 96 individual wells. It
is controlled by the Electro-planner through the ACD.
We used this device in the screening experiment and most membrane potential
related preliminary work
AC Dispatcher (ACD) |
An Arduino based device that can take AC or DC signals in inputs, gate it through 6 relays and dispatch them individually to each of the 5 pads of the Electro-Micro-Slide or to the each individual wells of the High Throughput Electro Actuator (HTEA) . It is controlled by the Electro Planner We used this device in the screening experiment and most membrane potential related preliminary work
High Throughput Electro Actuator (HTEA) |
An array of interchangeable electrodes matching the layout of a standard 96 well plate that can be used to dispatch signals from the AC Dispatcher (ACD) to each of the 96 individual wells. It is controlled by the Electro-planner through the ACD. We used this device in the Screening of electrically active promoters and most membrane potential related preliminary work
Electro-Micro-Slide |
A PCB in the shape of a microscope slide harbouring 5 bridgeable gold electrode. It can be used with the AC Dispatcher (ACD) and the Electro Planner to expose cells to electrical signal in solid medium.
Electro Planner |
A software to interface (monitor and control) with all of the Hardware from the Hardware collection
It enable Experiment planning for the High throughput Electro Actuator
(HTEA) and the
Micro-Electro-Slide.
We also showed that, using this framework, it was trivial to connect our hardware (hence to time
interaction with or wetware) to any internet application hence showcasing a simple integration with the
Internet of Living Things
IO Rodeo Potentiostat |
An open source potentiostat we have characterised and adapted to global current shortage of semi
conductors and electronic parts.
It can be used both as a sensor for the Output devices ( Electrical Resistance as
a measure of Growth) of our
Electro-Genetic Framework
and as an actuator for the Input Devices of the toolkit (See pSoxS Experiments).
We used this device in most experiments involving redox sensing mechanism
Dummy Cell |
A custom made Software that control all of our hardware. This Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows for planning experiment though third party software (such as excel). We used the Electo Planner in the screening experiment and most membrane potential related preliminary work. It is hosting our interface between Electro Genetics and the Internet.
Dropsens Adapter |
An extremely cheap, PCB and 3D printed case to use classic screen printed electrode with the IO Rodeo Potentiostat and the Electrical Conductivity +OD sensor (EC+OD)
Electrical Conductivity +OD sensor (EC+OD) |
A set of PCB and 3D printed devices holding 14 mL culture tubes and Dropsense electrode. It can be used both as a sensor for the Output devices of our Electro-Genetic Framework and as an actuator for the Input Devices of the toolkit.
96 Well Plate Replicator |
An extremely cheep laser cut and 3d printed device to copy 96 well plates. We used this device when manipulating the E. coli promoter collection used in our project