Under the hood of a bio-makerspace: Automating lab operations

Abstract

Can academic MakerSpaces and open educational laboratories, serving both structured classes as well as general project work, be efficiently staffed, managed, and operated? Traditionally, these spaces are regularly staffed by part-time student employees with regular turn-over. In addition, such lab spaces must quickly switch between different lab courses during the day, as well as open lab use, in a schedule that may vary from day to day. These constant changes may make supply and equipment maintenance incredibly challenging. Access to equipment must be managed for specific users and orders need to be coordinated for student projects. While supply chain and task management software are available for corporations, these options are extremely expensive for small scale lab settings. In this paper, we will present an efficient and incredibly low-cost model for educational laboratory management.