In order to integrate best practices for open hardware design within our protocols, we spoke to Tobias Wenzel, co-founder of DocuBricks; a website for high quality open source documentation, funded by the OpenPlant program. See what we discussed in the interview:

How we integrated this into our design:

• Neglect of safety features in open source protocols - as well as the features already included in our designs from community lab feedback, such as contained electrical connections and safety shields, we included instructions on how users can conduct isolated safety checks when building our hardware. For example, underwater pressure testing of the gun and checking of electrical circuits.
• Encouragement of designers to document their hardware properly - in addition to our own protocols, we have included links on our wiki to DocuBricks and an easy-to-follow checklist of components for anyone considering writing their own open source protocol.
• Adaptability of our design for different end users - including alternative supplier links for parts, where possible, to suit international users of the hardware and also providing an alternative in case the primarily-suggested supplier is out of stock.
• Used open source software when designing CAD files for parts of the gene gun and growth facility, so these files can be downloaded and customised by anyone.