We make Bento Lab = a portable PCR workstation for scientists and educators. Tweets about methods, field sequencing and DNA barcoding
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Joined October 2013
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PCR workstation with laptop-sized footprint? ✅
32-well thermocycler? ✅
8,000 × G centrifuge? ✅
Electrophoresis unit? ✅
Blue light transilluminator? ✅
Spare capacity/fieldwork/teaching/at home? ✅
Affordable and portable✅
Check out Bento Lab here:
bento.bio/product/bento-lab/
You wanted a single band for DNA barcoding. Your PCR had other ideas.
Fortunately, there are some surprisingly low-tech ways to isolate the fragment you actually want, and one of them requires little more than a pipette tip.
Full answer, including the original papers, at bento.bio/lab-mentor/
#LabMentor #labtips #PCR #BandStabPCR
Another marine scientist in the Baja region, Dr. Camila Mac Loughlin combines marine conservation, scientific tourism and hands-on citizen science to bring people closer to the molecular science of the Sea of Cortez.
Her independent initiative, Sequencing Baja, not only shows visitors the ocean, but invites them to help study it by collecting #eDNA samples from the sea.
Back on land, Mac Loughlin brings the filters to her home-based molecular biology setup, where she uses Bento Lab to extract DNA before samples move on to external library preparation and sequencing. The project is designed so that participants can follow the journey from field collection through to biodiversity data, with some samples ultimately contributing to public records in GenBank, as well as building biodiversity inventories.
bento.bio/story/searching-fo…
People in San Felipe, Mexico were already helping collect #eDNA samples for vaquita conservation.
They wanted to know what happened next.
So @taniavaldiviac brought the molecular lab to them, enabling hands-on experiences with DNA extraction, PCR and gels in a local classroom using Bento Lab.
Learn more about her #citizenscience and #conservation efforts: bento.bio/story/searching-fo…
🚨OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Need a PCR setup for your #eDNA research?
The eDNA Collaborative is offering a new round of microgrants in partnership with Bento Bio.
Successful applicants will receive a Bento Lab Pro to help support sample prep, PCR and gel electrophoresis.
Deadline: 9 October 2026
Apply here: bit.ly/4xXBDWO
How do you pack a genomics lab for a road trip? The Hawaiʻi INBRE team has it down. They've traveled across Hawaiʻi, the Pacific & the continental US delivering their popular Genome on the Go program.
🦉 See what they've learned: bit.ly/46QppUQ
SPOTTED: A new publication exploring how scientists could carry out bioanalysis in some of the most challenging environments on Earth has included the Bento Lab in its metagenomics workflow.
Aachen University researchers developing the 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗟𝗮𝗯, a mobile laboratory designed as a test bed for investigating icy ocean worlds, included the Bento Lab for its compact sample-processing capabilities alongside other tools.
The system is being developed for an Antarctic field campaign at Neumayer Station III in 2027, where the team plans to test its performance under representative polar conditions.
Read the paper: frontiersin.org/journals/ast…
Some summer camps have canoes. HelmCamp has necropsies, microscopes, PCR and parasite DNA.
See what participants encountered on their 10 day journey of discovery at La Selva Research Station in Costa Rica.
bento.bio/story/one-sample-m…
Thinking of making your genetics lessons more hands on? Get inspired by @oaklandu prof Colin Wu, who packs a whole lot of practical PCR learning into his mobile lab.
Find out more (and steal his set-up!): bento.bio/story/taking-hands…
We recently caught up with Tunisian researcher & educator @nabilamor, and were delighted to hear how his work has progressed since we first shared his work on the Arabian leopard.
That research has now been published, and he’s already exploring what comes next: faster DNA extraction for field barcoding, airborne #eDNA sampling, and even a low-cost 3D-printed fluorometer.
Read the updated story: bento.bio/story/decoding-the…
👀What if a species is there, but you just can't see it?
At Bosley Reservoir, traditional surveys found no signal crayfish. But when graduate researcher Molly Doyle tested water from the site for #eDNA, her LAMP assay detected traces of crayfish DNA.
Molly developed her assays to work in the field using Bento Lab, with results visible through a simple color change in around 40 minutes.
It makes our day to see molecular biology helping researchers uncover what might otherwise remain hidden.
Read the full story: bento.bio/story/finding-hidd…
We know that a successful practical requires more than choosing a protocol, so we’ve mined the knowledge of our own experts and experienced educators to present an overview of some of the things you should consider when planning your first (or fifth!) hands-on learning session, whether it takes place in a classroom, a community center, or a remote field station.
bento.bio/resources/educator…
...and what to do when you only have one workstation! bento.bio/resources/educator…
What happens when genomics moves off slides & screens, and into students’ hands?
Dr Wilda Laux is bringing practical molecular biology into schools across New Zealand, helping students experience the science for themselves.
Get inspired (and pick up a few pointers!): bit.ly/4hDYTVk
Bringing PCR closer to where questions arise can mean faster answers, greater access, and new possibilities for research, education and conservation.
Bento Bio co-founder Bethan Wolfenden explores how portable molecular biology is changing the science landscape in @Labcompare.
📚bit.ly/4fF8zMB
Interesting look at the use of #eDNA, #citizenscience and #machinelearning in monitoring and assessing marine biodiversity to support managers and policy-makers.
A new #GES4SEAS paper, from past year summer school has been published. It deals with #MachineLearning #eDNA and #CitizenScience for marine monitoring
frontiersin.org/articles/10.…
An interesting application of the Bento Lab: Forensic entomology! We were excited to see this fabulous feature in @natgeo about Charity & Makhali's fieldwork using the contents of blowfly guts to track parasites, chemical weapons materials, and other wildlife.
nationalgeographic.com/anima…
And here's their latest paper!
Great excerpt: "These insects can act as environmental drones, passively acquiring vast amounts of biological and chemical information that can easily be extracted by investigators."
academic.oup.com/jme/article…
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲: We've refreshed our PCR bird sexing resources with a straightforward 5-step workflow, starter guides, cost calculator, science explainer, home lab advice, and inspiring user stories.
🦉Take a peek and tell us what you think!
bento.bio/bird-sexing/
A thought-provoking Perspective in 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦 on what it really takes to build sustainable genomic surveillance in resource-limited settings.
The message isn't just about sequencing. It's about investing in local molecular biology capacity, training, infrastructure, and adaptable workflows that endure beyond the next outbreak.
nature.com/articles/s43856-0…
📢Calling all LAMP users: Have you developed your own assays? Adapted an existing protocol? Used Bento Lab for field-based LAMP testing, teaching, citizen science or research?
If so, we'd love to hear from you!
Whether you're actively running LAMP assays or simply exploring the possibility, get in touch and tell us about your project. Your experience could help shape future resources, protocols and case studies for the Bento Lab community.
Leave a comment or email [email protected]
