A Low Cost, Customizable Turbidostat for Use in Synthetic Circuit Characterization

Engineered biological circuits are
often disturbed by a variety
of environmental factors. In batch culture, where the majority of
synthetic circuit characterization occurs, environmental conditions
vary as the culture matures. Turbidostats are powerful characterization
tools that provide static culture environments; however, they are
often expensive, especially when purchased in custom configurations,
and are difficult to design and construct in a lab. Here, we present
a low cost, open source multiplexed turbidostat that can be manufactured
and used with minimal experience in electrical or software engineering.
We demonstrate the utility of this system to profile synthetic circuit
behavior in S. cerevisiae. We also demonstrate the
flexibility of the design by showing that a fluorometer can be easily
integrated.