We make Bento Lab = a portable PCR workstation for scientists and educators. Tweets about methods, field sequencing and DNA barcoding
Joined October 2013
- Tweets 2,751
- Following 2,393
- Followers 8,866
- Likes 4,156
265 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
15 Jul 2024
PCR workstation with laptop-sized footprint? โ
32-well thermocycler? โ
8,000 ร G centrifuge? โ
Electrophoresis unit? โ
Blue light transilluminator? โ
Spare capacity/fieldwork/teaching/at home? โ
Affordable and portableโ
Check out Bento Lab here:
bento.bio/product/bento-lab/
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Jun 9
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐น
Researcher Pema Khandu used Bento Lab to bring science closer to the species he is aiming to protect: the White-bellied heron.
๐ชบ Learn more about his field-based genetic sexing and eDNA analysis efforts: bento.bio/story/bringing-conโฆ
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Jun 2
Ever wonder why PCR fails sometimes? Check out our top tips to troubleshoot non-specific amplification.
bit.ly/4vnl8lJ
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May 29
This month, we've followed Bento Lab into coral reefs, rice paddies, Scottish islands, and wildlife conservation projects around the world.
It's always inspiring to see researchers bringing DNA analysis closer to the ecosystems and species they're working to understand and protect.
Here are a few highlights from the field.
bento.bio/blog/2026/05/29/reโฆ
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May 26
โ๏ธ Planning your next field trip or scientific adventure? Weโve put together our Top 5 Travel Tips, covering everything from travel-friendly reagents to handy letters for customs or security agents.
And be sure to tag us so we can follow along!
Bon voyage ๐๏ธ
bit.ly/4wH7Emi
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May 12
Fieldwork rarely goes exactly to plan. For Sunni Patton from the @vegathurberlab at @UCSB, that unpredictability became a defining part of her recent research trip in the Florida Keys.
See how the ability to extract DNA, run PCR, and visualise results directly in the field enabled her to pivot quickly in her investigation of bacteria transmission in staghorn coral.
bento.bio/story/detecting-coโฆ
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#invitrolibrary @purple_maia @theBentoLab testing for plant pathogens in tissue cultures with mobile genomics kit
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Apr 30
Bento users have been a busy bunch this month, with portable eDNA metabarcoding in the fjords of Norway, molecular biology murder mysteries in an English classroom, and more!
Check out our latest round-up:
bento.bio/blog/2026/04/30/frโฆ
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Apr 24
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐: We love seeing creative approaches to #STEM outreach, and this recent workshop at Windsor College is a great example of how hands-on learning can spark curiosity.
See how science educators from the @UKHSA brought science to life in their ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ : ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฐ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ activity. The interactive scenario was designed to explore radiation science and molecular biology through investigation, and they used the Bento Lab to give students the opportunity to gain valuable scientific lab skills.
linkedin.com/posts/dr-ashvenโฆ
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Apr 24
Inspired? Check out bento.bio/teaching for teaching resources and examples from other amazing educators!
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Apr 23
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐, ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ: Another great example of off-grid science, this time in the fjords of Norway & a training course in Brazil. The international team, led by @mauvisseau and @izzaywhat, field tested a fully portable, off-grid eDNA metabarcoding pipeline that enables end-to-end analysis within a few days using a Bento Lab workstation & a @nanopore MinION sequencer.
They shared the full protocol in their recently published pre-print: biorxiv.org/content/10.64898โฆ
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Apr 23
Several of the researchers also published recently in the Nature publication Polar Biology about their use of eDNA metabarcoding to tracking biodiversity in changing Arctic waters around Svalbard
Check out that study: link.springer.com/article/10โฆ
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Apr 20
Not so long ago, this kind of workflow would have required a full lab. Great to see it happening at home, and kudos to @banana_baeee for taking curiosity to the next level & sharing the process with other aspiring citizen scientists.
See the steps he followed: vibe-genomics.replit.app/
Apr 18
Guys look Claude helped me - a random guy in his basement - build a wetlab and do vibe genomics!
I sequenced my whole genome despite zero lab experience, without my DNA leaving home!
I put together my notes and a step by step guide here:
vibe-genomics.replit.app
It was a lot easier than I was expecting!
Ultimately I hit ~16x coverage and compared my results against my 600k raw 23andme SNPs, and it held up!
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
Mar 31
March Round-up: Snake Genomics in a Van, Biotech Education, and Building a Bird Sexing Business
bento.bio/blog/2026/03/31/snโฆ
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
Mar 13
From poultry enthusiast to bird-sexing lab owner! ๐ฃ๐งฌ
Brittney Knight started out with no PCR experience, learned how to sex birds using Bento Lab, and now runs her own successful bird sexing laboratory.
Weโre very excited to share her story and how she got started.
Read all about her inspiring journey here ๐
bento.bio/story/solving-the-โฆ
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
Mar 21
๐๐๐
Mar 19
Genome sequencing goes off-grid! ๐๐งฌ
Researchers from Johns Hopkins successfully sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus) genome using a mobile lab in a camper van.
Using a ONT Nanopore P2 Solo sequencing and Bento Lab, they show that genomes can be assembled at relatively low cost and without the need for a large laboratory!
๐ Nuclear & mitochondrial genomes of Masticophis flagellum piceus sequenced
๐ BUSCO completeness score better than most current snake genomes
๐ All work done in field- or field-simulated settings
A great step toward decentralising and democratizing genomics, especially for research in remote locations!
You can read the article here:
Scott & Mohr (2026). A Nanopore-Only Assembly of a Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genome of a Red Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum piceus). Genes, 17(3), 307.
doi.org/10.3390/genes1703030โฆ
Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
ALT The camper van and lab setup inside. Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
Mar 20
๐
Mar 19
Genome sequencing goes off-grid! ๐๐งฌ
Researchers from Johns Hopkins successfully sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus) genome using a mobile lab in a camper van.
Using a ONT Nanopore P2 Solo sequencing and Bento Lab, they show that genomes can be assembled at relatively low cost and without the need for a large laboratory!
๐ Nuclear & mitochondrial genomes of Masticophis flagellum piceus sequenced
๐ BUSCO completeness score better than most current snake genomes
๐ All work done in field- or field-simulated settings
A great step toward decentralising and democratizing genomics, especially for research in remote locations!
You can read the article here:
Scott & Mohr (2026). A Nanopore-Only Assembly of a Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genome of a Red Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum piceus). Genes, 17(3), 307.
doi.org/10.3390/genes1703030โฆ
Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
ALT The camper van and lab setup inside. Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
Mar 20
Doing science in a camper van, what's cooking?
Mar 19
Genome sequencing goes off-grid! ๐๐งฌ
Researchers from Johns Hopkins successfully sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus) genome using a mobile lab in a camper van.
Using a ONT Nanopore P2 Solo sequencing and Bento Lab, they show that genomes can be assembled at relatively low cost and without the need for a large laboratory!
๐ Nuclear & mitochondrial genomes of Masticophis flagellum piceus sequenced
๐ BUSCO completeness score better than most current snake genomes
๐ All work done in field- or field-simulated settings
A great step toward decentralising and democratizing genomics, especially for research in remote locations!
You can read the article here:
Scott & Mohr (2026). A Nanopore-Only Assembly of a Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genome of a Red Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum piceus). Genes, 17(3), 307.
doi.org/10.3390/genes1703030โฆ
Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
ALT The camper van and lab setup inside. Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
Mar 20
Who doesn't love a camperlab?
Mar 19
Genome sequencing goes off-grid! ๐๐งฌ
Researchers from Johns Hopkins successfully sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus) genome using a mobile lab in a camper van.
Using a ONT Nanopore P2 Solo sequencing and Bento Lab, they show that genomes can be assembled at relatively low cost and without the need for a large laboratory!
๐ Nuclear & mitochondrial genomes of Masticophis flagellum piceus sequenced
๐ BUSCO completeness score better than most current snake genomes
๐ All work done in field- or field-simulated settings
A great step toward decentralising and democratizing genomics, especially for research in remote locations!
You can read the article here:
Scott & Mohr (2026). A Nanopore-Only Assembly of a Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genome of a Red Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum piceus). Genes, 17(3), 307.
doi.org/10.3390/genes1703030โฆ
Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
ALT The camper van and lab setup inside. Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
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Bento Lab ๐งฌ retweeted
The dream....
Mar 19
Genome sequencing goes off-grid! ๐๐งฌ
Researchers from Johns Hopkins successfully sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum piceus) genome using a mobile lab in a camper van.
Using a ONT Nanopore P2 Solo sequencing and Bento Lab, they show that genomes can be assembled at relatively low cost and without the need for a large laboratory!
๐ Nuclear & mitochondrial genomes of Masticophis flagellum piceus sequenced
๐ BUSCO completeness score better than most current snake genomes
๐ All work done in field- or field-simulated settings
A great step toward decentralising and democratizing genomics, especially for research in remote locations!
You can read the article here:
Scott & Mohr (2026). A Nanopore-Only Assembly of a Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genome of a Red Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum piceus). Genes, 17(3), 307.
doi.org/10.3390/genes1703030โฆ
Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
ALT The camper van and lab setup inside. Images copyright Alan F. Scott.
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