Three-dimensional printing with polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic offers new opportunities for cryobiology

Development of devices through design, prototyping, testing, and fabrication is especially necessary for enhancement of research and eventual application in cryobiology. The advent of 3-dimensional printing offers unique opportunities for this process, given that the materials involved are suitable for use in cryogenic temperatures. We report herein that 3-D printing with polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic is ideally suited for cryobiology device development. Devices that are designed and standardized in open source fashion can be electronically distributed and created locally on increasingly affordable 3-D printers, and can accelerate cryobiology findings and improve reproducibility of results. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.