With much of the world’s burden of disease affecting the Bottom Billion in the developing world, bringing effective resources to these regions should be a public health priority.
While the need for drugs, diagnostics, and improved sanitation is well-recognized, thus far little attention has been paid to the more fundamental needs for basic infrastructure to support disease control programs. Basic needs, such as simple laboratory equipment to support even the most rudimentary disease biology and chemistry work, are often undervalued. How can we combat disease when basic equipment like a microscope, pipet, and centrifuge are non-existent, or sitting on a shelf broken and useless?
Enter Tekla Labs. www.teklalabs.org
This year, I have been fortunate to work with this exciting student-run initiative that aims to bring low-cost DIY designs for much needed basic lab equipment to the world. With ties to Instructables, Autodesk, Make Magazine, and DIYbio, Tekla Labs is creating designs and hosting competitions to invent new designs to meet the needs of not only disease control laboratories, but also research and educational in the developing world, as well as impoverished schools in the developed world.
How can we combat disease when basic equipment like a microscope, pipet, and centrifuge are non-existent, or sitting on a shelf broken and useless?
Please support Tekla Labs by hosting or funding one of their competitions: http://www.teklalabs.org/contact/