Our world is incredibly diverse. It includes countless species and ways of life. And while many of us observe the macro, the most expansive level of diversity of life on Earth occurs at the cellular level. For the biologist, our diversity is underpinned by the cells that sustain life. When we dive into the cellular level, we uncover the complexities that define our existence.

Synthetic biology, a combination of science and engineering, leverages this knowledge, aiming to improve and, in some cases, redesign life itself. It’s an ambitious field, requiring theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply that theory. This means researchers often need a large bag of tools for their work in the lab. Every piece of lab equipment is crucial in synthetic biology, from amplifying DNA with PCR machines to culturing new life forms in incubators. High-throughput technologies, precise analytical devices, and essential support gear are the pillars of this research, enabling scientists to dissect and reassemble life’s building blocks.

In this post, we’ll guide you through the essential lab equipment powering synthetic biology, showing how these tools are not just instruments but gateways to pioneering biological innovations. Excedr leases all of the equipment we list here, so if you’re interested in acquiring new or refurbished equipment for your AgBio research, we can help.

Core Laboratory Equipment

Synthetic biology aims to understand and redesign life; the lab is where theory meets practice. Here, a diverse array of equipment becomes the researcher’s toolkit, enabling the ambitious task of reprogramming the code of life. 

Each piece of equipment plays a distinct role in the synthetic biology orchestra, harmonizing the complexity of biological systems with the precision of engineering. Let’s look at some of these critical tools and instruments that are essential for anyone in the field of synthetic biology.

• PCR Machines: When it comes to manipulating DNA, PCR machines, also known as thermal cyclers (or thermocyclers, in some cases), are the workhorses of the lab. They amplify tiny DNA samples into quantities large enough for analysis or engineering. Whether inserting a new gene into a plasmid or checking if your latest experiment worked, you’ll likely need a reliable thermal cycler.
• Centrifuges: Think of centrifuges as the ultimate organizers. By spinning samples at high speeds, they separate components based on density. This is crucial when extracting DNA, isolating proteins, or purifying other cellular materials.
• Incubators: Incubators are the nurturing environments where synthetic life forms can grow and thrive. They maintain optimal cell culture conditions, ensuring that engineered bacteria, yeast, or mammalian cells develop as intended. In these cozy corners, new biological systems often take their first breaths, so to speak.
• Spectrophotometers: Precision is key in synthetic biology, and spectrophotometers deliver just that. These devices measure the concentration of nucleic acids and proteins in your samples, providing the quantitative data to make informed decisions about your experiments. It’s like having a highly accurate measuring tape for the molecules in your lab.

Specialized Equipment

Diving deeper into the synthetic biology toolbox, we encounter specialized equipment designed for more complex tasks—devices that offer the precision, efficiency, and depth of analysis required to engineer life at the molecular level. These specialized tools are not just about basic lab functionality; they’re about pushing the boundaries and enabling scientists to explore and engineer life at a granular level.

• Gel Electrophoresis Systems: Gel electrophoresis is the detective work of molecular biology, separating DNA, RNA, and proteins by size. Picture it as a microscopic race, where molecules sprint through a gel matrix, revealing the blueprint of life bit by bit. It’s essential for verifying the success of cloning experiments or understanding the makeup of genetic material.
• Microplate Readers: In synthetic biology, efficiency is vital, and microplate readers epitomize this by allowing researchers to analyze multiple samples at once quickly. Whether it's measuring enzyme activity, testing drug responses, or screening genetic modifications, these devices turn days of work into hours, accelerating the pace of discovery.
• Fluorescence Microscopes: To see is to understand; fluorescence microscopes bring the invisible to light. By tagging molecules with fluorescent markers, scientists can track where and how genes are expressed in cells, or observe the interactions between proteins in real-time. It’s like having a GPS for navigating the inner workings of cells.
• Chromatography Systems: Chromatography is all about purification and separation, which is crucial when you’re working with complex mixtures of biological molecules. Whether you’re isolating specific proteins, separating metabolic products, or analyzing lipid profiles, chromatography systems provide the clarity needed to see each component in isolation.

Consumables & Reagents

While high-tech equipment forms the backbone of synthetic biology labs, the day-to-day experiments rely just as heavily on various consumables and reagents—supplies that support the more complex machinery and enable the precise work that defines synthetic biology. In synthetic biology, the devil is often in the details, and these consumables and reagents are the details that matter.

• Pipettes & Glassware: Accuracy and precision in measuring liquids are non-negotiable in synthetic biology. Pipettes and an array of glassware ensure that whether you’re transferring micro-liters of a crucial enzyme or scaling up a reaction, you’re doing so with exactitude. It’s like the difference between a rough sketch and a detailed blueprint; the right tools can define the outcome of your experiment.
• Reagents & Kits: The chemical backbone of any synthetic biology lab, reagents, and kits are pre-packaged magic. From the enzymes needed for splicing DNA to the buffers that keep your reactions running smoothly, these kits save time and reduce error, ensuring that your focus stays on innovation rather than preparation. It’s akin to having a sous chef in the lab, prepping all your ingredients so you can concentrate on creating the final dish.
• Petri Dishes & Culture Plates: Whether you’re growing a colony of engineered bacteria or testing the effects of a new drug on cultured cells, petri dishes, and culture plates are your miniature ecosystems. They provide the controlled environments necessary for observing the growth and behavior of synthetic life forms under various conditions.
• PCR Consumables: The bread and butter of genetic manipulation, PCR consumables like tubes, primers, and nucleotides are the building blocks for amplifying, sequencing, and modifying DNA. High-quality consumables mean the difference between a reaction that runs smoothly and fails to start, much like the right fuel, which is crucial for a car’s performance.

Supporting Laboratory Equipment

Beyond the core instruments and specialized synthetic biology tools, a lab’s efficiency and effectiveness can be bolstered by a range of general lab equipment. These items might not headline research papers, but their role in the lab is indispensable, ensuring experiments run smoothly and safely. Often, these instruments create the foundation for innovative research, ensuring that synthetic biology labs are not only centers of innovation but also paragons of efficiency, safety, and precision.

• Water Baths & Hot Plates: Temperature control is crucial in a myriad of biological reactions and processes. Water baths and hot plates provide this control, whether you’re gently coaxing a reaction to completion in a water bath or rapidly bringing a solution to a boil on a hot plate. They’re the unsung heroes in the quest for precision and repeatability in experiments.
• Freezers & Autoclaves: Preservation and sterilization are highly important when it comes to maintaining the integrity of biological samples and the cleanliness of lab environments. Freezers keep sensitive reagents and cultures at optimal temperatures for long-term storage, while autoclaves sterilize equipment and waste, ensuring that your lab remains a safe, contamination-free zone. Think of them as the guardians of lab quality and safety.
• Filtration Systems: Purity in experiments is not just desirable; it’s often essential. Filtration systems remove particulates and contaminants from liquids and gasses, ensuring that the materials you work with are as pristine as your experimental design demands. Whether preparing a sterile culture medium or purifying a reagent, filtration systems guard the quality of your inputs.
• Various Benchtop Instruments: From vortex mixers that ensure thorough mixing of solutions to microcentrifuges that quickly spin down small samples, benchtop instruments are the daily drivers of the lab. These compact, often overlooked tools are critical for the myriad preparatory and processing tasks that underpin successful experiments.

Applications in Synthetic Biology Research

Synthetic biology tools can enable the acts of discovery and innovation that define the field, facilitate basic research, and drive the development of innovative solutions to global challenges in a number of ways. Each PCR cycle, centrifuge spin, and microscopic observation contributes to a future where biology is understood and engineered to meet our needs. Here's how some of the lab equipment we've covered is currently being used to push the boundaries of what’s possible in synthetic biology.

• Gene Synthesis & Editing: Synthetic biology provides the ability to create and modify DNA sequences: the blueprints of life. PCR machines, gel electrophoresis systems, and microplate readers work in concert to synthesize genes from scratch, edit them through techniques like CRISPR-Cas9, and verify the accuracy of these alterations. This precise manipulation of genetic material paves the way for engineered organisms with beneficial traits, from bacteria that digest pollutants to crops that withstand harsh climates.
• Protein Engineering: Synthetic biology also dives into the realm of proteins, the workhorses of the cell. Centrifuges, chromatography systems, and spectrophotometers enable researchers to isolate, purify, and analyze proteins engineered to perform new functions. These tools are instrumental in developing enzymes that catalyze industrial processes more efficiently or therapeutic proteins that target diseases at the molecular level.
• Metabolic Engineering: Reprogramming organisms' metabolic pathways opens avenues for sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Incubators and fluorescence microscopes allow scientists to culture modified cells and observe the effects of these genetic tweaks in real-time. Synthetic biology aims to produce biofuels from renewable sources and manufacture drugs more cost-effectively by optimizing metabolic pathways.
• Cellular Systems Modeling: Understanding the complex interactions within and between cells is crucial for synthetic biology. Advanced imaging systems, coupled with computational tools, help model these systems, predicting how changes at the genetic level will affect cellular behavior and organismal traits. Integrating biology with computer science accelerates the design-build-test cycle, making synthetic biology more predictive and efficient.

Lease & Accelerate Your Research

Synthetic biology relies on a wide range of equipment. From PCR machines that amplify DNA to fluorescence microscopes that illuminate the inner workings of cells, each instrument plays a critical role in enabling researchers to explore, understand, and engineer biological systems. 

Synthetic biologists have a wide array of ambitious goals, from revolutionizing healthcare to creating sustainable solutions for the environment and achieving these goals often hinges on the precision and reliability of their instruments and tools. In this way, the future of synthetic biology is shaped by scientists’ ingenuity and the accessibility of advanced lab equipment.

Excedr’s leasing program provides access to the essential tools needed for this type of research by removing financial barriers to help accelerate the pace of discovery and innovation. Take the next step in advancing your research. Contact Excedr today to explore leasing options for PCR machines, fluorescence microscopes, and other equipment to unlock the full potential of your scientific endeavors.