Re: [DIYbio] Re: What's wrong with open source PCRs

Adding my $0.02 to this, as I've been away form the DIY scene for quite a while. A few years ago I attempted to construct the PersonalPCR machine using their open source documentation, none of which were functional at the time (note that it didn't say that in the literature...). No user support, and a lot of personal time came and went without a functional product at the end. I was upset for quite a while. The idea is great, and if someone were able to replicate it using the same concept, it's easily under $50 in parts. However, they now have a retail product that runs $650, and extensive software support for multiple platforms, including a phone. 

I just bought one, and am running it through its paces for the first time now. I won't probably get back here for a while, but it's an impressively simple piece of equipment. It's a thin film heating element attached to a low-mass aluminum block, which is cooled by ambient air. Heating and cooling times look to be in the 1.5*C/s range, which is fine for most things, and probably better than a lot of professional thermocyclers, honestly. 

So, basically, I'm over being upset about it not being open source. Unfortunate that they changed their model? Sure, but they have a good product, and because they're in the Boston biotech crowd, they'll have plenty of people to subsidize their development costs to 

It's a functional product that is a central part of DIY bio. Think of it as a startup cost, and then get to work on the fun stuff!

On Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 4:54:55 PM UTC-5, Ujjwal Thaakar wrote:

Hi,

I recently decided to design a PCR machine that's affordable since I can't either buy one or afford an OpenPCR. I wanted your views on OpenPCR, MiniPCR and the likes of others. Are these runaway successes? Did everyone really buy one for themselves? What were the issues you had with them? What does diybio need today the most and at what price point. 

--

Thanks

Ujjwal

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