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The American Biology Teacher

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An Inexpensive, Open-Source Mini-Centrifuge
Zachary WareJoncas, Chris Stewart, John Giannini
The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 80 No. 6, August 2018; (pp. 451-456) DOI: 10.1525/abt.2018.80.6.451
Zachary WareJoncas
ZACHARY WAREJONCAS is a graduate of St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: warejonc@stolaf.edu.
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Chris Stewart
CHRIS STEWART is a part-time continuing education student at St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: stewartc@stolaf.edu.
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John Giannini
JOHN GIANNINI is an Associate Professor of Biology at St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: giannini@stolaf.edu.
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Abstract

The centrifuge is an important piece of equipment for any biology lab, necessary for a wide variety of experiments. Cost, however, often prevents the use of centrifuges in many teaching labs, greatly limiting educational experiences for students. As a result, we describe how to construct a “homemade” single-speed mini-centrifuge using inexpensive parts easily acquired online or at hardware or other stores (e.g., a 4.7-quart plastic bowl and lid, standard computer cooling fan, AC/DC adapter, electrical wire, etc.). We further used this design and a commercial mini-centrifuge to pellet 1-mL samples of Tetrahymena thermophila, and we found that the two performed comparably. Finally, because our plans and the materials needed to build this device are all open source, we call our design the OPN Minifuge, and we hope that it will help to expand the scope of experiments that students can run in introductory and upper-level biology teaching labs.

  • inexpensive
  • open source
  • do-it-yourself (diy)
  • homemade
  • mini-centrifuge
  • teaching lab
  • © 2018 National Association of Biology Teachers. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permission to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press's Reprints and Permissions web page, www.ucpress.edu/journals.php?p=reprints.
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Vol. 80 No. 6, August 2018

The American Biology Teacher: 80 (6)
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An Inexpensive, Open-Source Mini-Centrifuge
Zachary WareJoncas, Chris Stewart, John Giannini
The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 80 No. 6, August 2018; (pp. 451-456) DOI: 10.1525/abt.2018.80.6.451
Zachary WareJoncas
ZACHARY WAREJONCAS is a graduate of St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: warejonc@stolaf.edu.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • View author's works on this site
  • For correspondence: warejonc@stolaf.edu
Chris Stewart
CHRIS STEWART is a part-time continuing education student at St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: stewartc@stolaf.edu.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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  • For correspondence: stewartc@stolaf.edu
John Giannini
JOHN GIANNINI is an Associate Professor of Biology at St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: giannini@stolaf.edu.
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  • For correspondence: giannini@stolaf.edu

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An Inexpensive, Open-Source Mini-Centrifuge
Zachary WareJoncas, Chris Stewart, John Giannini
The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 80 No. 6, August 2018; (pp. 451-456) DOI: 10.1525/abt.2018.80.6.451
Zachary WareJoncas
ZACHARY WAREJONCAS is a graduate of St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: warejonc@stolaf.edu.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • View author's works on this site
  • For correspondence: warejonc@stolaf.edu
Chris Stewart
CHRIS STEWART is a part-time continuing education student at St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: stewartc@stolaf.edu.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • View author's works on this site
  • For correspondence: stewartc@stolaf.edu
John Giannini
JOHN GIANNINI is an Associate Professor of Biology at St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057, USA; e-mail: giannini@stolaf.edu.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • View author's works on this site
  • For correspondence: giannini@stolaf.edu
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