Mason Kellinger

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Mason Kellinger is a synthetic biologist whose work sits at the intersection of laboratory automation and sustainability. His primary research focuses on developing open-source, flexible software and hardware solutions to democratize and streamline the Design–Build–Test–Learn (DBTL) cycle in synthetic biology. Kellinger’s most impactful contribution is the creation of **AssemblyTron**, a platform that brings flexible, automated DNA assembly to the widely accessible Opentrons OT-2 liquid handler. This work, which has garnered 41 citations, directly addresses a critical bottleneck in bioengineering by enabling researchers to automate complex cloning workflows without expensive, proprietary equipment. Beyond accelerating the build phase, Kellinger is a leading voice for sustainable lab practices. His follow-up work, **TidyTron**, tackles the staggering 5.5 million tons of annual plastic waste from biotech labs by providing validated protocols for washing and reusing common plasticware. With 6 citations, this paper pioneers a crucial framework for reducing the environmental footprint of biofoundries as the global bioeconomy scales. Through these contributions, Kellinger is not only advancing the technical capabilities of synthetic biology but also championing a more responsible and accessible future for the field.