Cross-Makerspace Processes

The Wet Lab Makerspace invites you to enjoy our Summer B 2026 Community Project! These projects are open enrollment opportunities to practice laboratory skills. The makerspace provides materials, protocols, instruction, and support to guide you as you through foundational workflows in the biological and chemical sciences. By completing these non-credit courses, students can earn digital badges, demonstrating their mastery of core skills.

In Summer B 2026, our Community Project will be Cross-Makerspace Processes, which will introduce workflows that incorporate tools, techniques, materials, and processes from both the Wet Lab Makerspace and the Makerspace at EXP. A makerspace is a facility in which shared equipment can be used for independent projects, hands-on learning, and invention. We are incredibly fortunate on Northeastern University’s Boston campus to have both a traditional, “dry” makerspace and a wet lab for biological and chemical processes. Students will have the opportunity to engage in processes that use both spaces, for example, by creating bioplastics in the wet lab and laser cutting them in the dry makerspace.

Topics to be Covered

Students will receive an orientation to important lab safety topics, including handling biological material, waste disposal, and handling hazardous chemicals. Orientation to the Makerspace at EXP is also required, in addition to safety training with the tools that will be used.

Students will complete the DIY training in 3D-printing in the Makerspace at EXP and will print a laboratory tool that can be used in the Wet Lab Makerspace.

In this week, we will create sheets of bioplastics in the laboratory and cut these sheets on the laser cutter in the Makerspace at EXP.

In this week, we will collect specimen images using the microscopes in the Wet Lab Makerspace. We will then print those images using the RISO printer in the Makerspace at EXP.

Completion of an independent project is required to earn the Cross-Makerspace Processes Core Badge. Your project must use tools or processes from both makerspaces and will competed with the advice and supervision of a student mentor.

Pacing & Time Commitment

Students must enroll in a specific weekly time slot. In-person instruction will occur during that time slot. Completion of each week’s assignment will likely require that students return to the lab to work independently at least one additional day per week.

Students will have the opportunity to earn two badges:

Participant
Core

Fill out this form to enroll!

Safety begins the week of July 6th!

Enrollment will be capped at 50 students. We look forward to seeing you all for an exciting summer of science!