In 2018, we reported on an initiative to 3D print lab equipment. Now, seven years later, we are checking in with the Custom Lab Institute to see how the quest to democratize research through 3D printing is progressing. The Custom Lab Institute is the brainchild of award-winning molecular biologist Dr. Ulrich Lutz. Ulrich, who has spent over 12 years in the lab, has developed numerous tools and experimental setups for his work at the Max Planck Institute for Biology and elsewhere. Initially, he created tools for himself and his lab, but he soon realized that through 3D printing, he could produce and share these tools worldwide. Ulrich aimed to reduce the cost of experimental tools and create others that were not yet available on the market. In the laboratory world, some tools and even disposables are sold at exorbitant markups.
Now, seven years later, the Institute has collaborated directly with dozens of researchers to create custom tools. Additionally, hundreds of orders have sustained their work. Most of the products are sent to academic laboratories at research institutes and universities, but start-ups and even large companies also order items such as tube racks, customizable powder dispensers, bead dispensers, magnet holders, and more. The most popular products are magnetic racks and customizable bead dispensers.
We asked Ulrich about his motivation, and he responded that he wanted to make “devices that were hopelessly overpriced, more cheaply” and to “provide affordable instruments to institutes with less well-equipped research landscapes. Democratizing biological research by lowering the cost of required equipment to increase accessibility. These are small steps, but important ones.¨
Ulrich makes the devices cheaper through 3D printing, primarily using vat polymerization and his trusty Formlabs machine. He notes that “the tools are very durable” and that “we have been using our own 3D-printed tools in the laboratory for more than four years and counting.” In addition to the Formlabs machine, he credits their decision not to seek large profit margins and their efficient production process as key factors in keeping costs low. The savings on lab equipment can range from a factor of 3 to 10 for each tool. This represents a significant reduction, especially for cash-strapped labs or those in developing countries. However, even for the well-funded national labs worldwide, cheaper 3D-printed equipment allows them to hire more researchers and conduct more experiments.
As for the future, Ulrich said, “We will be happy if we can meet the rising demand with a larger supply. Then prices will fall again, as the automation of printing processes, for example, will increase our efficiency.”
I love the Custom Lab Institute. I truly believe this is an incredibly efficient way to advance scientific research. Consumables, lab equipment, and tools are expensive—often needlessly so—and keep budgets constrained. Cheaper tools that work just as well would make a real difference if made available globally. Imagine the cost savings when hundreds of thousands of devices, currently overpriced by 300% to 1000%, become accessible. Societies could save millions if more lab equipment were 3D printed. What’s more, these savings would directly impact budgets earmarked for scientific research.
We’d be saving money at the very frontier between the unknown and the known—right where the sum total of what is presumed ends. 3D printing could be a real force multiplier for scientific research. At the same time, entirely new devices that save time and simplify work could be introduced. New workflows and novel applications could quickly have a 3D-printed solution available at low cost. I really admire what Ulrich is doing here and firmly believe that more companies should focus on helping advance science’s cutting edge.
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