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At Emmanuel, students are always encouraged to think outside the box: in this case, the "DigiBox!"
Created by Emmanuel alumni and faculty, the “DigiBox” is a custom-designed black acrylic box with 3D printed components used to photograph agar plates – which are used widely across the field of biology. Fully developed and reproduced in the Emmanuel College DiscoveryLab – a makerspace complete with 3D printers, laser cutters, Adobe software and more – the DigiBox is a product of how collaboration, academic exploration and curiosity fuels innovation at Emmanuel and prepares students to become life-long learners.
The device solves an age-old problem that scientists have faced for years: an inevitable glare that hinders the imaging of growing microbes on agar plates.
According to the Dean of the School of Science & Health, Dr. Pádraig Deighan, this persistent problem is often addressed using sophisticated camera and lighting state setups that cost thousands of dollars. And even those high-end setups introduce workflow inefficiencies when accommodating hundreds of student scientists with imaging needs each semester.
At least that was the case – until now. Using the DigiBox, students can easily block the outside light and glare that blurs results thanks to the all-black acrylic design, while LED lights installed within the box illuminate the microbes clearly enough to capture high-quality images with a smart phone camera. The current prototypes, developed largely by Emmanuel alum Gavin Nolan ’24, have already been piloted at some Harvard, hospital and industry labs.
Nolan, a double major in Biology and Neuroscience, worked out the design of the DigiBox at home after graduation, using a 3D printer to develop the precise pieces for assembly and creating the sleek design with acrylic material, while Dr. Deighan and a team of student scientists trialed iterative versions of the DigiBox until the design was perfected.
Not only is it incredibly useful in the lab – but it’s convenient. The team foresees shipping the pieces un-assembled, “like a little LEGO set,” complete with simple instructions for easy assembly at minimal cost.
Since graduation last year, in addition to the DigiBox side project, Nolan has been working in a lab at Harvard Medical School, where he’s studying auditory perception. As a scientist and composer among other things, he is no stranger to seeking out unique and original solutions for the unsolved problems in his fields of interest.
“It’s been fun to keep up the Emmanuel connection,” he said, “during my time here, I was always encouraged to push boundaries and explore cutting-edge solutions – and I’ve taken that with me.”
Using the product, Dr. Deighan said, Emmanuel students can get the clearest results and make great observations of their microbes, and as a result, achieve the highest level of professionalism as possible in their classroom and labs.
“We want our student scientists to have all the best resources possible,” he said, “if we don’t have something they need, we’ll create it!”
That was the idea when Dr. Deighan and Assistant Lab Manager and Emmanuel alum India Baren ’21 began working on the first iterations of the DigiBox in support of the Biology 1105 course in the Paul Shannahan Wenger CURE laboratory. It was made with a variety of lab materials – like cardboard shoe boxes at one point – but it wasn’t an exact science, nor a perfect fix.
“This new design makes it so that students can have more pride in the work they’re doing and deeply analyze it,” Baren said.
The work to maximize the invention’s capabilities is set to continue as well.
As development of the companion innovation, DigiBoxGel, progresses to enable imaging of DNA and protein gels, Nolan is refining the design while Dr. Deighan is sharing the DigiBox with neighboring institutions and labs.
