Lobster Trap for Microbes

MIT-WHOI Joint Program student Ben Lambert field tests a new type of 3-D printed instrument known as an In Situ Chemotaxis Assay (ISCA), which he developed with other researchers focused on studying the ocean’s smallest scales. The device acts like a lobster trap for microbes, enabling scientists to capture the tiny organisms in the ocean and later analyze them to learn how they respond to certain chemicals. “Being able to analyze these responses gets us one step closer to understanding how microbial communities in the ocean work,” Lambert said. (Photo by Kyle Mayers)