Walk into Northeastern University’s Wet Lab Makerspace, and you won’t find a passive learning environment—you’ll find students designing experiments, testing ideas at the bench, and gaining hands-on experience with tools they might not encounter until far later in their academic careers. The space blends creativity, curiosity, and technical rigor, giving users the opportunity to explore laboratory methods in a setting built for experimentation and discovery.
The Wet Lab Makerspace also serves a practical purpose for learners and laboratory leaders alike. It provides structured laboratory skills training, access to shared equipment, and opportunities for independent research in labs across disciplines, helping participants build confidence with real workflows while reinforcing safety, accountability, and good laboratory practice. For educators and lab managers, this model demonstrates how thoughtfully designed learning environments can expand training capacity and better prepare emerging researchers for academic and professional laboratory settings.
Wet Lab Makerspace learning model and laboratory skills training
The Wet Lab Makerspace operates within Northeastern’s EXP research complex and offers daily orientations followed by single-session seminars focused on microbiology, basic laboratory skills, and microbial art. These sessions emphasize laboratory safety, sterile handling practices, instrument use, and experimental workflows, reinforcing competencies essential to laboratory skills training. Participants work with tools such as petri dishes, agar media, and benchtop instruments while developing familiarity with documentation, good laboratory practice, and collaborative work in a shared space. By lowering the barrier to entry, the makerspace helps new researchers build confidence and prepares them for more advanced laboratory environments.
Independent research in labs and interdisciplinary project development
Beyond structured training, the Wet Lab Makerspace supports independent research in labs by allowing users to propose and carry out their own experimental projects. The space provides access to common reagents, shared materials, and equipment such as cryogenic freezers and flow cytometers, while users supply specialized chemicals when needed. This approach mirrors real-world laboratory operations, where resource planning, material management, and experimental design are integral responsibilities. Students and early-career researchers gain practical evidence of their technical abilities, strengthening job readiness and supporting future academic or professional opportunities.
Why the Wet Lab Makerspace model benefits laboratory operations
For laboratory leaders, the Wet Lab Makerspace represents a scalable model for experiential learning and workforce development. It provides applied practice that complements traditional research environments, supports hands-on laboratory skills training, and encourages collaboration across scientific and creative disciplines. By integrating shared equipment, structured instruction, and opportunities for independent research in labs, the makerspace helps institutions cultivate technically prepared and adaptable emerging scientists while reinforcing safety, accountability, and thoughtful use of laboratory resources.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
