🦉 For this month's newsletter, we’ve gone birding! Take a peek at our refreshed bird sexing resources, as well as stories of the workflow being applied to everything from pet care to conservation. Plus, practical tips for PCR workflows. Check it out: bento.bio/blog/2026/06... Image by N Suma

🦤 Thinking of bringing bird sexing in-house? Sometimes the biggest benefit isn't cost. Here are 5 signs it might be time to take the plunge. Click through for a more in-depth guide: bento.bio/resources/bi... #birds #BIOsky

One of the most common PCR questions we get: "What actually needs refrigeration?" Short answer: Not everything. Knowing which supplies require cold storage & which can handle ambient temps can make fieldwork & logistics much easier. ➡️ Check out our new guide: bit.ly/3PUhUay

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 🇧🇹 Researcher Pema Khandu used Bento Lab to bring science closer to the species he is aiming to protect: the White-bellied heron. 🪺 Learn more about his field-based genetic sexing and eDNA analysis efforts: bento.bio/story/bringi... #BIOsky #conservation #birds

🧪 Ever wonder why PCR fails sometimes? Check out our top tips to troubleshoot non-specific amplification. bento.bio/resources/be... #BIOsky

The field season is in full swing, and we’ve loved seeing researchers use Bento Lab in remote jungles, coral reefs, paddy fields & island field sites, bringing DNA analysis closer to the ecosystems and species they’re studying. Here are a few highlights: bento.bio/blog/2026/05...

On the International Day for #BiologicalDiversity, researchers have released a blueprint for a global #DNAbarcoding network, drawing on experiences from 20 countries to outline 10 recommendations for building successful national nodes. 👉 #OA research in @mbmg.pensoft.net: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

✈️ Planning your next field trip or scientific adventure? We’ve put together our Top 5 Travel Tips, covering everything from travel-friendly reagents to handy letters for customs or security agents. And be sure to tag us so we can follow along! Bon voyage 🏖️ bento.bio/resources/be...

Fieldwork rarely goes exactly to plan. For Sunni Patton from the Vega Thurber Lab at UCSB, that unpredictability became a defining part of her recent research trip in the Florida Keys. bento.bio/story/detect...

Back from two weeks of field work in the Outer Hebrides. Studying stickleback by trapping, wading, snorkeling, drones, and my first field experience of using @bento.bio lab. Normally we guess what the mitochondrial lineage of the crosses we're making but this year we got to know in the field!

Bento users have been a busy bunch this month, with portable eDNA metabarcoding in the fjords of Norway, molecular biology murder mysteries in an English classroom, and more! Check out our latest round-up: bento.bio/blog/2026/04... #BIOsky

I need to find a big group on @bento.bio users with whom to chat. I’m thinking of that direction!

🧪 Murder Mystery meets molecular biology: We love seeing creative approaches to #STEM outreach, and this recent workshop at Windsor College is a great example of how hands-on learning can spark curiosity. linkedin.com/posts/dr-ash... #BIOsky

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: Another great example of off-grid science, this time in the fjords of Norway & a training course in Brazil. The international team field tested a fully portable, off-grid eDNA metabarcoding pipeline using Bento Lab & a @nanoporetech.com MinION sequencer.

March Round-up: Snake Genomics in a Van, Biotech Education, and Building a Bird Sexing Business bento.bio/blog/2026/03...

Genome sequencing goes mobile! 🚐🧬 Johns Hopkins researchers sequenced the Red Coachwhip snake genome in a camper van using ONT Nanopore & Bento Lab. High-quality nuclear & mitochondrial genomes, all done in field-like conditions! 🐍 doi.org/10.3390/gene... Images copyright Alan F. Scott.

Imagine having this in your kitchen or your school science room. 🧬 Bento Lab is a full PCR + centrifuge + gel electrophoresis kit in one portable box. As a uni researcher, I call this a very cool toy. bento.bio/product/bento-lab @bento.bio

From poultry enthusiast to bird-sexing lab owner! 🐤🧬 Brittney Knight started out with no PCR experience, learned how to sex birds using Bento Lab, and now runs her own successful bird sexing laboratory. We’re very excited to share her story & how she got started! 👇 bento.bio/story/solvin...

February Round-up: Leopard Detection, Malaria Surveillance, New Teaching Lab, and Molecular Pathogen Training in the Philippines bento.bio/blog/2026/02...

This is what makes portable equipment like our Bento Lab exciting - you can start quickly, get results on-site, and share skills to build local capacity. Molecular analysis doesn’t have to wait on sample transport. It can happen right where it matters, and it’s brilliant to see it in action here.

Wonderful to see Amy Bei's team and their collaborators processing hundreds of malaria samples in real time, while training scientists from across the country! Congrats to all the fantastic team members across Yale, INSAPT, and PNUD Tchad!

Looking for a hands-on way to teach PCR? Here are four case studies using DNA barcoding: 🌿 Teach lab + bioinformatics 🌿 Insects, fungi, and algae 🌿 Formats from 3 days to full courses 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/resources/ed...

BeeCode Berlin, a pioneering citizen science project, helped high school students learn PCR by DNA barcoding honeybees: 🐝 Community centre labs using Bento Lab 🐝 DNA hackathons and poster event 🐝 Subspecies & genetic resilience insights 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/story/dna-ba...

Bringing PCR to the classroom? BioSTEM shows how hands-on genetics education can work, even in remote schools. 🧬 Real PCR experiments with Bento Lab 🧬 6,000+ students trained 🧬 Boosted genomics understanding 🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.1186/s402...

Interested in portable metagenomics for water samples? Here’s a very exciting preprint using Bento Lab + ONT MinION with a QUANTITATIVE workflow! ⭐5 field & 4 lab methods tested ⭐Results compared to digital PCR ⭐Field results comparable to lab performance 🔗👇 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Interested in how portable sequencing could improve patient care in remote & under-resourced hospitals? Here's a case report from Tanzania in which a mobile setup (Bento Lab + ONT MinION) helped to diagnose a child’s infection when routine tests failed! Read more here: www.cell.com/heliyon/full...

Tunisian researchers map protozoan parasites in chickens and a probable nematode vector using Bento Lab! ⭐ First investigation of Trichomonadida diversity across Tunisia ⭐ H. meleagridis (blackhead disease) found in many samples ⭐ Insights for disease control 👉 Read more: doi.org/10.14411/fp....

Portable genomics for food safety! Here's a recent preprint that introduces NOMAD: an on-site raw milk microbiome workflow using ONT MinION + Bento Lab. ⭐ Detects >90% of microbial diversity in 4h ⭐ Full workflow in 10.5h ⭐ Same-day farm decisions on spoilage 🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Interested in portable metagenomics and cultural heritage? Here’s a new study in which a portable workflow using Bento Lab + ONT MinION was used to analyse biofilm recolonisation (inc. microbiome, resistome, & metabolic traits) on previously cleaned historic statues. 🔗 www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15...

Interested in portable metagenomics for water samples? Here’s a new preprint using Bento Lab + ONT MinION with a quantitative workflow: ⭐5 field & 4 lab methods tested ⭐Results compared to digital PCR ⭐Field workflow comparable to lab performance 🔗 Read here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Need a fast, affordable & accessible way of extracting DNA from dried blood spots? Here are four methods you could consider: ⭐PBS-based 10-min incubation (birds) ⭐Weak alkaline lysis+wash → direct PCR ⭐Two strong alkaline lysis methods 🔗 Read here: bento.bio/resources/dn...

On-site DNA testing to combat the illegal wildlife trade just got faster! VeRIF-ID + Bento Lab = portable species ID solution. 🌟 <3 h from sample to result 🌟 Works at customs & field sites 🌟 15 fish & bushmeat items ID’d in ~6 h 🔗 Read here: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Need to run PCR off-grid? From caves to forests to boats, here’s how to power Bento Lab outside the lab: 🔋 Required battery specs 🔋 Tested power stations (Powkey & Yeti) 🔋 Online energy usage calculator 👉 bento.bio/resources/be...

Researchers map protozoan parasites in chickens using Bento Lab! ⭐First investigation of Trichomonadida diversity across Tunisia ⭐Histomonas meleagridis (blackhead disease) found in many samples ⭐ Insights for better disease control 🔗 Read more: folia.paru.cas.cz/artkey/fol-2...

This was developed by @jordancuff.bsky.social for use on our ecology field course. Turns out students like combining lab+field! Another step towards breaking down the false dichotomy of “field” and “lab” people! 🧪

Curious how PCR can help students study insect prey & parasites in the field? Researchers recently shared their 1-day Bento Lab protocol: 🕷️ Adaptable workflow for ecology studies 🕷️ Field-ready, practical steps 🕷️ Tested in 2023/24 & 2024/25 courses 🔗 slack.protocols.io:8443/view/field-b...

Taking your Bento Lab outside the lab and into the field? This guide shares practical tips for setting up a temporary lab. How to: ⭐ Set up, power & pack your equipment ⭐ Run gels without a microwave ⭐ Avoid contamination & other issues 🔗 Read more: bento.bio/resources/be...

Study tracks a deadly chimpanzee pathogen in the field! ⭐ 637 samples tested from sanctuaries & the wild across Africa ⭐ Field DNA extraction, PCR & gels with portable tools including Bento Lab ⭐ Insights on prevalence, seasonality & hotspots 🔗Read: www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

What if classrooms could generate biodiversity data? BeeCode Berlin helped students study honeybees using Bento Lab: 🐝 Insights into honeybee subspecies 🐝 The role of genetic diversity in resilience 🐝 DNA hackathons and poster event 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/story/dna-ba...

In-situ DNA sequencing in one of the world’s most remote caves? In Venezuela’s Imawarí Yeutá cave system, researchers built a field lab with Bento Lab + ONT MinION. ⭐Complete onsite workflow ⭐Offline analysis ⭐Insights into microbes & cave formation 🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.5194/egus...

Pathogen & AMR monitoring directly from meat, lake water & sludge? This study used Bento Lab in the field: ⭐ DNA prep comparable to lab workflows ⭐ Pathogens detected in food & water ⭐ Resistance genes identified 🔗 Read summary + study: bento.bio/blog/2024/12...

Need to screen plant or animal DNA before sequencing? This triplex PCR assay runs entirely on Bento Lab! 🌱 Single-tube triplex PCR: plant or animal 🌱 Field-ready workflow 🌱 Ready for Sanger sequencing 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/story/rapid-...

Great to see our HotSHOT DNA Extraction Kit being used for leaf-miner DNA barcoding, in a study by Sharrow et al. (2025): ⭐ Read how they did it: www.researchgate.net/publication/... ⭐ Check out the kit: bento.bio/product/hots...

Struggling with smears or strange bands in your PCR? Our troubleshooting guide helps you identify and fix non-specific amplification: ⭐ Common PCR artefacts ⭐ Potential causes ⭐ Practical troubleshooting steps 🔗 Read more: bento.bio/resources/be...

Sexing birds with PCR? Choosing the right primers is key! Not sure where to start? This guide helps you plan with confidence: 🐦 Searchable species table 🐦 Tips for validation + testing 🐦 Key papers for 200+ species 🔗 Find out more: bento.bio/protocol/bir...

Looking for a hands-on way to teach PCR? Here are four case studies using DNA barcoding: 🌿 Teach lab + bioinformatics 🌿 Insects, fungi, and algae 🌿 Formats from 3 days to full courses 🔗 Read here: bento.bio/resources/ed...

Researchers have developed a portable bird flu genomics workflow to track emerging strains in remote locations: 🧬 Bento Lab used to extract viral RNA 🧬 ONT MinION for genome sequencing 🧬 Full workflow on an Antarctic research vessel 🔗 Full story: bento.bio/story/tracki...

Interested in rapid on-site microbial whole genome sequencing analysis? At a Roman monument, researchers used a portable setup for WGS of biofilms in ~38 hrs! 🧬 Bento Lab for DNA prep + gel check 🧬 ONT MinION for WGS 🧬 Functional genes + resistome 🔗 bento.bio/story/on-sit...

Portable genomics for food safety! A new preprint introduces NOMAD: an on-site raw milk microbiome workflow using ONT MinION + Bento Lab. ⭐ Detects >90% of microbial diversity in 4h ⭐ Full workflow in 10.5h ⭐ Same-day farm decisions on spoilage 🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

DNA analysis beyond the lab? Researchers use Bento Lab everywhere—from boats & vet clinics to lakesides, mountain sites & museums. But what do researchers’ temporary labs really look like? 🔗See five real-world setups: bento.bio/resources/be...