Open Source · Modular · DIY

Build your
bio lab from
the ground up

Lab Blocks is a library of open-source electromechanical modules — snap together everything from a magnetic stirrer to a full thermocycler, at a fraction of the cost.

🌡️
Temp Control
⚗️
Stirrer
💧
Pump
+
🔬
Microscope
🧬
PCR Block
Power Supply
📊
Spectro
+
🌀
Centrifuge
🧪
Gel Tank
+
🔁
Rocker
+
💡
UV Array
🖥️
Controller
20+ Open modules
~90% Cost reduction vs commercial
CC BY-SA License
Arduino + Raspberry Pi ready
What is Lab Blocks

A lab you build
yourself, one block at a time

Every module is a self-contained unit — designed, documented, and tested so you can build only what you need, and combine freely.

🧩
Truly modular
Each block has a standardised mechanical footprint, power bus, and communication interface. Mix and match without rewiring everything from scratch.
🖨️
Maker-first hardware
3D-printed enclosures, off-the-shelf electronics, Arduino and Raspberry Pi control boards. If you can solder and print, you can build.
📖
Fully documented
Every module ships with assembly guides, calibration procedures, BOM with sources, and firmware. No guesswork, no black boxes.
🌍
Built for access
Designed so a lab in Lagos or London can build the same equipment. Standard components, local sourcing guides, no exotic parts.

The Lab Blocks promise

  • Every design file is public and forkable under CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Commercial-grade performance at maker-grade cost — typically 80–95% cheaper
  • No proprietary software required — runs on open firmware
  • Peer-reviewed build documentation for every module
  • Community-maintained, versioned, reproducible hardware
  • Modular power and data bus — one controller, many devices
Module library

From stirrer to sequencer

Five tiers of complexity. Start anywhere.

🗂️
Tube Rack
Tier 1 · Passive
🔄
Magnetic Stirrer
Tier 2 · Electronics
🌀
Vortex Mixer
Tier 2 · Electronics
Gel PSU
Tier 2 · Electronics
🔆
Transilluminator
Tier 2 · Electronics
🌡️
Incubator
Tier 3 · PID Control
💧
Peristaltic Pump
Tier 3 · PID Control
💉
Syringe Pump
Tier 3 · PID Control
📊
Spectrophotometer
Tier 3 · PID Control
♨️
Water Bath
Tier 3 · PID Control
🌀
Centrifuge
Tier 4 · Precision
🧬
Thermocycler
Tier 4 · Precision
🔬
Open Microscope
Tier 4 · Precision
🤖
Liquid Handler
Tier 4 · Precision
🦠
Bioreactor
Tier 5 · Integrated
Open source hardware

Everything is public.
Nothing is locked.

CAD files, firmware, BOMs, and assembly guides live in public repositories under a permissive licence. Fork it, modify it, improve it.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Lab Blocks is built on the shoulders of the open hardware community — OpenFlexure, Pioreactor, OpenPCR, and dozens of academic HardwareX papers. We contribute back under the same spirit.

Every module release includes: STL and STEP files, KiCad schematics and PCBs, calibrated firmware, a full BOM with global sourcing alternatives, and a peer-reviewed assembly guide.

Commercial use is permitted. Attribution required. Share-alike derivatives welcome.

# Clone and build your first module
 
git clone https://github.com/labblocks/core
cd core/modules/magnetic-stirrer
 
# Print enclosure
open hardware/stirrer-body.stl
 
# Flash firmware
arduino-cli compile --upload \
  firmware/stirrer.ino
 
# See full BOM
cat docs/bom.csv

Your lab.
Your rules.
Open source.

Join a growing community of makers, biohackers, and researchers building better science tools.