AGGRC

Open source technology development will be a game changer for genetic resources by empowering entire user communities to establish their own repositories.

Technology is useless unless you get it into the hands of the people who need it. The open-source concept is based on making things simple dependable and cheap and beyond that standardizable. That's why the AGGRC has assembled a powerful and flexible suite of design and manufacturing capabilities to support the needs of aquatic species communities to protect genetic resources.

Every year society invest hundreds of millions of dollars to developing genetic resources that currently cannot be protected except by holding them as live animals. This means every year potential cures for disease are lost, endangered species disappear and opportunities for new markets never develop.

The AGGRC has been built from the ground up to address problems and create opportunities through inter-disciplinary focus on repository needs for aquatic species. Engineers, biologist, designers, and educators work together to create solutions for groups of any size bridging medicine, aquaculture, wild and imperiled species. All of the many people and disciplines involved combine into a production pathway with 5 levels of testing designed to produce user-ready solutions.

Development Strategies

Our technology development pathway at the AGGRC is designed to rapidly move from ideas to products. Our approach is based on strong interdisciplinary collaboration, matching the right expertise when needed spanning multiple disciplines. This process is extremely flexible and can accommodate a wide range of devices and applications. Most importantly all of this can be custom designed for use with aquatic species or to address existing markets including mammals.

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Alpha Testing

Alpha testing can also be understood as ‘in-house’ testing’. The Alpha Testing of prototypes is usually conducted by the prototype developers internally. At the alpha testing stage, the prototypes are initially fabricated as testing samples and could have substantial flaws. During the testing , these flaws are identified evaluated, and design changes are made to address the problems. Alpha testing can go through many iterations and the designs of alpha prototypes can go through substantial changes. Once the alpha prototypes can perform as envisioned, it moves to the beta testing stage.

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Beta Testing

Beta testing is the process after completion of alpha testing. Prototypes in beta testing are much closer to the final solution than alpha prototypes. Beta testing prototypes are not tested within the developer’s institute any more. Instead, they are usually tested by the prospective consumers as well as general public.

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User-Ready Solutions

Catchy phrase to ask people to join us

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Core Fabrication Technologies

CAD/CAM

CAD-CAM technology is the culmination of decades of contributions by many in the name of manufacturing automation. It is the vision of innovators and inventors, mathematicians and machinists alike, all striving to shape the future and drive manufacturing with technology. The term “CAD-CAM” is generally used to describe the software that is used for design and machining or manufacturing with a CNC Machine. CAD is an acronym for Computer Aided Design and CAM is an acronym for Computer Aided Manufacturing. CAD software is used to create things by designing and drawing, using geometric shapes to construct a model. However, not all manufactured parts have to be designed as a solid 3D model.

Forming

Forming, metal forming, is the metalworking process of fashioning metal parts and objects through mechanical deformation; the workpiece is reshaped without adding or removing material, and its mass remains unchanged. Forming operates on the materials science principle of plastic deformation, where the physical shape of a material is permanently deformed.

Microfabrication

Microfabrication and micromachining are terms that describe the technologies and processes used in making microscopic structures or devices. These structures can range in size from the width of a human hair down to smaller than a single human cell. The ability to build devices this small has spurred technological advancements in computers, consumer electronics, green energy technology and many other fields. Microfabrication techniques vary widely depending on the device being built.

Electrocryobiology

A strong understanding of the events in cryopreservation is highly desired and will be accomplished by the development of a sensing (and ultimately, controlling) probe that can monitor the phase change and ice formation of sample solutions. In addition, smart devices are becoming increasingly common in our society, connecting our homes and lives with the internet of things (IoT). Devices that previously operated individually are now being equipped with electronics, software, sensors, actuators and connectivity that allows them to interact and exchange data through existing internet structures. Currently, 9 billion interconnected devices are being used across the world, and it has been predicted this number will increase to 24 billion by 2020. The electronic and computing capabilities required for device development are becoming less expensive, more adaptable and more powerful.

Interdisciplinary Technology

Development Strategies

Alpha Testing

Beta Testing

User-Ready Solutions

Development Strategies

Alpha Testing

Beta Testing

User-Ready Solutions

Core Fabrication Technologies

CAD/CAM

Forming

Microfabrication

Electrocryobiology

Featured Projects

CRYOPRESERVATION DEVICE DEVELOPMENT

CAJUN EJECTOR V1.0: 3D PRINTED STRAW FREEZING DEVICE

CRYOKIT V1.0: 3D PRINTED POSITIONAL COOLING PLATFORM

Development of 3-D printed Cryo-Ark for sperm cryopreservation

STANDARD ASSESSMENT OF SPERM VITRIFICATION

STANDARD SPERM VITRIFICATION DEVICE FOR STORAGE IN CYROPRESERVATION STRAWS

MICROFABRICATED ENUMERATION GRID CHAMERS (MEGC)

MICROFABRICATED ACTIVATION & MOTILITY CHAMBER