Lab-on-a-3D-Printer for Democratized Reconfigurable Digital Microfluidics

Abstract Automation in the life sciences remains dominated by expensive, centralized robotic systems, leaving most laboratories unable to access precision robotic liquid handling. Here we present the Lab-on-a-3D-Printer (Lo3DP), a reconfigurable robotic microfluidic platform that repurposes the motion control, thermal regulation, and open-source programmability of consumer 3D printers to deliver laboratory-grade automation at a hardware cost below $500. By replacing the extruder with a multifunctional magnetic toolhead, Lo3DP actuates ferrofluid droplets with sub-100 µm positioning accuracy and programmable volume control spanning 0.5–25 µL, enabling the full repertoire of digital microfluidic operations within inexpensive laser-cut chips (