New: expanded 2023 handbook for workshop training and self-paced learning.

Now freely available to download as a PDF. Doubled in size to over 200 pages, and includes new material for Stages 1 and 2 of Biomaker training. The Guide focuses on skills and information required for building prototypes with Arduino microcontrollers and sophisticated off-the-shelf electronic components. It introduces the use of the XOD no-code programming environment with the Seeed Studio Grove Beginner Board as a simple multifunctional microcontroller board. Designed to catalyse extended experimentation with new sensors, displays and actuators, the extended guide contains detailed descriptions of the embedded hardware, as well as a list of external devices - along with the XOD libraries required to use them.

Click here to download the Rapid Prototyping Guide 2023: (204 pages, 18 MB PDF)

Training and funding for interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of electronics, 3D printing, sensors, low-cost instrumentation and biology.

The Biomaker platform

Biomaker provides funding for interdisciplinary team-based projects at the intersection of electronics, 3D printing, sensor technology, low cost DIY instrumentation and biology - together with with workshops and outreach events. The Biomaker project aims to build open technologies and promote development of research skills and collaborations. They tap into existing open standards and a rich ecosystem of resources for microcontrollers, first established to simplify programming and physical computing for designers, artists and scientists. These tools allow biologists to program and develop real-world laboratory tools. Further, the Biomaker projects provide a direct route for physical scientists and engineers to get hands-on experience with biological systems.

What is Biomaker? Why is it different?

Biomaker brings together a series of modern tools that allow novice programmers (for example, biologists, non-scientists) to build instrumentation with sophisticated user interfaces - for sensing and controlling biologically relevant parameters. No programming experience is necessary!

New Skills for Biologists

Our No-Code Programming for Biology programme provides an avenue for biologists to get started with visual programming and learn how to use hardware to build their own custom biological instrumentation.

Project-Based Learning

We support interdisciplinary project-based learning through the Biomaker Challenge. This is a yearly competition that provides seed funding for small projects at the intersection of biology, engineering and computer science. You can browse previous projects in the Projects tab.

Open & Accessible Tools

We provide a range of freely available Resources to help both beginners and experienced makers build skills in bioinstrumentation. Additionally projects developed within the Biomaker Challenge are documented and openly accessible on our Hackster Hub.

Hub for Resources and Community

We aim to provide a hub for anyone interested in biology, design and engineering to find resources and join our growing Community of Biomakers. Our Resources page provides a list of useful information and tools from both the Biomaker community and other useful organisations.

Next generation DIY instruments

We are developing advanced training materials for XOD programming the Seeedstudio Wio Terminal with advanced sensors, LoRa long range wireless communications and machine learning. Hardware provided by the SenseCAP K1100 Kit. Contact Jim Haseloff (jh295) via the XOD Forum if you would like to be part of this effort. Thank you for support from a NERC Cross-disciplinary Research for Discovery Science award, and Eric Pan and Sunny Zhao at Seeedstudio.

Building new tutorial materials

Join an informal online group to help assemble new training materials, example control logic and project descriptions for advanced applications with XOD.