PersonalPCRv1 is a 2-tube arduino shield PCR thermocycler. Resistive heating, forced-air ambient cooling, no heated lid.
PersonalPCRv1 was an open-source hardware collaboration between Cofactor Bio LLC and Templeman Automation LLC from 2011-2012. Cofactor wound down in 2012, Templeman wound down or severly curtailed operations in 2013. During operations, PersonalPCRv1 was available from Cofactor Bio for $149 + S/H.
During 2012-13, the PersonalPCRv1 design evolved into an 8-tube strip resitive-heating / forced-air cooling thermocycler with heated lid thanks to continued development at Templemen Automation. Later that year the company shut down and some of the developers tried to spin PersonalPCR off into a separate company. In May 2014 open-source harwdware reference files for PersonalPCRv2 were published at personalpcr.com. Around this time, a new site was launched, MiniPCR.com.
MiniPCR.com, led by one of the original PersonalPCR developers from TA, manufactures and sells a thermocycler forked from the PersonalPCRv2 reference design. As of June 2014 they are unsure if they will continue the open-source tradition with their MiniPCR product. Assembled units start at $799.
Contents: hardware BOM, Arduino firmware, PCB design and fabrication files.
