Lambda Biolab
Direct democracy in biotech research.
Affordable, fully equipped BSL-1 shared lab space in the heart of Basel — open to anyone with a project and a willingness to follow safety protocol.
Lambda Biolab member at the bench.
Citizenship
What membership includes
Access BSL-1 benches, calibrated equipment, and Basel's biotech coworking community — without needing an academic or company affiliation.
Registered BSL-1 lab
Maintained and calibrated equipment, ready for cloning, transfection, and microbial work the day you walk in.
Co-working office
Desk and meeting-room access through our Symbiont Space partnership — same building as the lab.
Consumables delivery
Molecular biology consumables delivered on demand so you don't burn a day chasing tubes.
Personal injury & liability cover
Insurance is included so a slipped pipette doesn't become a paperwork emergency.
Dedicated -80 °C storage
Your own labeled box with continuous temperature monitoring and out-of-range alerts.
Genetic engineering support
Hands-on guidance for cloning, transfection, and cell-line work whenever you want a second pair of eyes.
Authorized waste disposal
Biohazard and chemical waste is handled through a licensed channel — you stay compliant by default.
You own 100% of your IP
No claw-back, no co-ownership clauses. What you invent at the bench is yours.
Equipment
What's on the bench
Calibrated, ready-to-use instruments across the standard molecular biology workflow.
Cell culture & transfection
- ·CO₂ incubator
- ·Class II biosafety cabinet
- ·Centrifuges
- ·Cryogenic storage
Nucleic acids & cloning
- ·Thermocyclers
- ·Gel electrophoresis
- ·Nanodrop
- ·Sterile reagent prep
Media preparation
- ·Magnetic stirrers
- ·pH meters
- ·Autoclave access
- ·Water purification
Imaging & analysis
- ·Inverted microscopy
- ·UV transilluminator
- ·Plate readers
- ·Shared consumables stock
Order from these suppliers and more
Assay services at the bench
MTT viability studies run here, with reporter assays in development. Pricing and scope are listed on the assay services page.
Explore assay services →Open-source
Robotics we build for the bench
We reverse-engineer commercial lab instruments and build liquid-handling retrofits that run here in the Biolab. Drivers, mechanical designs, and assembly guides are released openly.
Inside the lab
From benchwork to glowing colonies
A glimpse of recent work at Lambda Biolab — equipment in use, not stock illustrations.
Safety
Working safely is non-negotiable
The lab is stocked with gloves, safety goggles, lab coats, a first-aid kit, and a fire extinguisher. Reservations are required during peak hours.
Waste management
All biological and chemical waste is collected in clearly labeled containers and disposed of through a licensed waste-management partner. Members are trained on the segregation protocol on day one.
Compliance
The lab is registered with the Swiss Federal Coordination Centre for Biotechnology and operates strictly within BSL-1 limits. All members complete a safety induction before their first bench session.
Collaborators
Friends of the lab
Independent Basel-area collaborators we share members, equipment, and events with.
Interested in becoming a member?
Submit a short application — tell us about your project and how you'd use the lab. We'll review, follow up, and onboard if Lambda Biolab is a fit.