Bento Bio 🧬

Looking to use up your end-of-year budget? We’re obviously biased, but we think Bento Lab makes an awesome gift for your lab (and yourself!). 🎅 A PCR workstation for < $2000 that you can use for sequencing library prep, LAMP assays or just as your daily PCR. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tlq...

You wanted a single band for DNA barcoding. Your PCR had other ideas. Fortunately, there are some surprisingly low-tech ways to isolate the fragment you actually want, and one of them requires little more than a pipette tip. Full answer, including the original papers, at bento.bio/lab-mentor/

Another initiative in the Baja region enables visitors to go beyond sightseeing and become part of a real #citizenscience expedition in the Sea of Cortez. Read about the Sequencing Baja initiative's blend of marine conservation, scientific tourism and hands-on #eDNA science. bit.ly/4s6nmpc

People in San Felipe, Mexico actively help monitor the endangered vaquita using #eDNA & other methods. They wanted to know what happened next. So @taniavaldiviac.bsky.social brought the lab to them. Learn more about her #citizenscience & #conservation efforts: bento.bio/story/search...

🚨OPPORTUNITY ALERT: Need a PCR setup for your #eDNA research? The eDNA Collaborative is offering a new round of microgrants, and successful applicants will receive a Bento Lab Pro to help support sample prep, PCR and gel electrophoresis. Deadline: 9 October 2026 Apply here: bit.ly/4xXBDWO

How do you pack a genomics lab for a road trip? The Hawaiʻi INBRE team has it down. They've traveled across Hawaiʻi, the Pacific & the continental US delivering their popular Genome on the Go program. 🧪 See what they've learned: bit.ly/3Tvphqv

SPOTTED: A new publication exploring how scientists could do bioanalysis in the most challenging conditions has included Bento Lab in its metagenomics workflow. Click thru to learn about 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗟𝗮𝗯, designed for an Antarctic field campaign in 2027. 🧪 www.frontiersin.org/journals/ast...

Some summer camps have canoes. HelmCamp has necropsies, microscopes, PCR and parasite DNA. See what participants discovered on their 10 day journey of discovery at La Selva Research Station in Costa Rica. bento.bio/story/one-sa...

Eight Bento Labs. Two 40-minute practicals. One very portable PCR class. Thinking of making your genetics lessons more hands on? Get inspired by Michigan prof Colin Wu, and find out exactly what he packs into his milk crates. bento.bio/story/taking...

We recently caught up with Tunisian researcher & educator @nabilamor.bsky.social to hear how his work has progressed since we first shared his research on the Arabian leopard. He's been busy developing field DNA extraction methods, airborne #eDNA & more! Read the updates: bento.bio/story/decodi...

👀What if a species is there, but you just can't see it? At Bosley Reservoir, traditional surveys found no signal crayfish. But when graduate researcher Molly Doyle tested water from the site for #eDNA, her LAMP assay detected traces of crayfish DNA. Read the full story: bento.bio/story/findin...

What happens when genomics moves off slides & screens, and into students’ hands? Dr Wilda Laux is bringing practical molecular biology into schools across New Zealand, helping students experience the science for themselves. Get inspired (and pick up a few pointers!): bit.ly/4hDYTVk

Bringing PCR closer to where questions arise can mean faster answers, greater access, and new possibilities for research, education & conservation. Bento Bio co-founder Bethan Wolfenden explores how portable molecular biology is changing the science landscape in Labcompare. bit.ly/4fF8zMB

Interesting look at the use of #eDNA, #citizenscience and #machinelearning in monitoring and assessing marine biodiversity to support managers and policy-makers.

Throwback to a decade ago, when a Bento Lab beta prototype was featured at the London Science Museum "Beyond the Lab" exhibition! It's undergone quite a few changes since then, and it's been great to see it become a staple in many lab, field research and classroom kits.

Cool resource for those doing marine #eDNA! Good luck on your trip, @saltwaterpatrick.bsky.social, and thanks for sharing!

🦉 For this month's newsletter, we’ve gone birding! Take a peek at our refreshed bird sexing resources, as well as stories of the workflow being applied to everything from pet care to conservation. Plus, practical tips for PCR workflows. Check it out: bento.bio/blog/2026/06... Image by N Suma

🦤 Thinking of bringing bird sexing in-house? Sometimes the biggest benefit isn't cost. Here are 5 signs it might be time to take the plunge. Click through for a more in-depth guide: bento.bio/resources/bi... #birds #BIOsky

One of the most common PCR questions we get: "What actually needs refrigeration?" Short answer: Not everything. Knowing which supplies require cold storage & which can handle ambient temps can make fieldwork & logistics much easier. ➡️ Check out our new guide: bit.ly/3PUhUay

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 🇧🇹 Researcher Pema Khandu used Bento Lab to bring science closer to the species he is aiming to protect: the White-bellied heron. 🪺 Learn more about his field-based genetic sexing and eDNA analysis efforts: bento.bio/story/bringi... #BIOsky #conservation #birds

🧪 Ever wonder why PCR fails sometimes? Check out our top tips to troubleshoot non-specific amplification. bento.bio/resources/be... #BIOsky

The field season is in full swing, and we’ve loved seeing researchers use Bento Lab in remote jungles, coral reefs, paddy fields & island field sites, bringing DNA analysis closer to the ecosystems and species they’re studying. Here are a few highlights: bento.bio/blog/2026/05...

On the International Day for #BiologicalDiversity, researchers have released a blueprint for a global #DNAbarcoding network, drawing on experiences from 20 countries to outline 10 recommendations for building successful national nodes. 👉 #OA research in @mbmg.pensoft.net: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

✈️ Planning your next field trip or scientific adventure? We’ve 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 🏖️ bento.bio/resources/be...

Fieldwork rarely goes exactly to plan. For Sunni Patton from the Vega Thurber Lab at UCSB, that unpredictability became a defining part of her recent research trip in the Florida Keys. bento.bio/story/detect...

Back from two weeks of field work in the Outer Hebrides. Studying stickleback by trapping, wading, snorkeling, drones, and my first field experience of using @bento.bio lab. Normally we guess what the mitochondrial lineage of the crosses we're making but this year we got to know in the field!

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... #BIOsky

I need to find a big group on @bento.bio users with whom to chat. I’m thinking of that direction!

🧪 Murder Mystery meets molecular biology: 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. linkedin.com/posts/dr-ash... #BIOsky

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: Another great example of off-grid science, this time in the fjords of Norway & a training course in Brazil. The international team field tested a fully portable, off-grid eDNA metabarcoding pipeline using Bento Lab & a @nanoporetech.com MinION sequencer.

March Round-up: Snake Genomics in a Van, Biotech Education, and Building a Bird Sexing Business bento.bio/blog/2026/03...

Genome sequencing goes mobile! 🚐🧬 Johns Hopkins researchers sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake genome in a camper van using ONT Nanopore & Bento Lab. High-quality nuclear & mitochondrial genomes, all done in field-like conditions! 🐍 doi.org/10.3390/gene... Images copyright Alan F. Scott.

Imagine having this in your kitchen or your school science room. 🧬 Bento Lab is a full PCR + centrifuge + gel electrophoresis kit in one portable box. As a uni researcher, I call this a very cool toy. bento.bio/product/bento-lab @bento.bio

From poultry enthusiast to bird-sexing lab owner! 🐤🧬 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. We’re very excited to share her story & how she got started! 👇 bento.bio/story/solvin...

February Round-up: Leopard Detection, Malaria Surveillance, New Teaching Lab, and Molecular Pathogen Training in the Philippines bento.bio/blog/2026/02...

This is what makes portable equipment like our Bento Lab exciting - you can start quickly, get results on-site, and share skills to build local capacity. Molecular analysis doesn’t have to wait on sample transport. It can happen right where it matters, and it’s brilliant to see it in action here.

Wonderful to see Amy Bei's team and their collaborators processing hundreds of malaria samples in real time, while training scientists from across the country! Congrats to all the fantastic team members across Yale, INSAPT, and PNUD Tchad!

Looking for a hands-on way to teach PCR? Here are four case studies using DNA barcoding: 🌿 Teach lab + bioinformatics 🌿 Insects, fungi, and algae 🌿 Formats from 3 days to full courses 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/resources/ed...

BeeCode Berlin, a pioneering citizen science project, helped high school students learn PCR by DNA barcoding honeybees: 🐝 Community centre labs using Bento Lab 🐝 DNA hackathons and poster event 🐝 Subspecies & genetic resilience insights 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/story/dna-ba...

Bringing PCR to the classroom? BioSTEM shows how hands-on genetics education can work, even in remote schools. 🧬 Real PCR experiments with Bento Lab 🧬 6,000+ students trained 🧬 Boosted genomics understanding 🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.1186/s402...

Interested in portable metagenomics for water samples? Here’s a very exciting preprint using Bento Lab + ONT MinION with a QUANTITATIVE workflow! ⭐5 field & 4 lab methods tested ⭐Results compared to digital PCR ⭐Field results comparable to lab performance 🔗👇 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Interested in how portable sequencing could improve patient care in remote & under-resourced hospitals? Here's a case report from Tanzania in which a mobile setup (Bento Lab + ONT MinION) helped to diagnose a child’s infection when routine tests failed! Read more here: www.cell.com/heliyon/full...

Tunisian researchers map protozoan parasites in chickens and a probable nematode vector using Bento Lab! ⭐ First investigation of Trichomonadida diversity across Tunisia ⭐ H. meleagridis (blackhead disease) found in many samples ⭐ Insights for disease control 👉 Read more: doi.org/10.14411/fp....

Portable genomics for food safety! Here's a recent preprint that introduces NOMAD: an on-site raw milk microbiome workflow using ONT MinION + Bento Lab. ⭐ Detects >90% of microbial diversity in 4h ⭐ Full workflow in 10.5h ⭐ Same-day farm decisions on spoilage 🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Interested in portable metagenomics and cultural heritage? Here’s a new study in which a portable workflow using Bento Lab + ONT MinION was used to analyse biofilm recolonisation (inc. microbiome, resistome, & metabolic traits) on previously cleaned historic statues. 🔗 www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15...

Interested in portable metagenomics for water samples? Here’s a new preprint using Bento Lab + ONT MinION with a quantitative workflow: ⭐5 field & 4 lab methods tested ⭐Results compared to digital PCR ⭐Field workflow comparable to lab performance 🔗 Read here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Need a fast, affordable & accessible way of extracting DNA from dried blood spots? Here are four methods you could consider: ⭐PBS-based 10-min incubation (birds) ⭐Weak alkaline lysis+wash → direct PCR ⭐Two strong alkaline lysis methods 🔗 Read here: bento.bio/resources/dn...