01 · OPEN HARDWARE
Reference device
Manufacturing files, electronics and mechanical design intended to be independently reproduced and adapted.
Open · local-first · user-controlled
An open stack for programmable microbiology.
MikroVivo is an open hardware and software platform for small-scale microbial cultivation. It combines a reproducible reference device, open firmware, a local-first web interface, interoperable protocols and shared reference data — without requiring a proprietary cloud.
Open hardware
Free/open source software
Local-first operation
Open protocols & APIs
No mandatory cloud
LOCAL-FIRSTRun and inspect locally
OPEN STACKHardware · firmware · protocols · data
Public-interest technology
Keep scientific tools inspectable, repairable and reusable.
MikroVivo is designed so that the essential technology remains usable independently of a single vendor, subscription or remote service. The goal is permissionless experimentation: people should be able to study the system, reproduce it, modify it and build new tools on top.
The open stack
From physical device to reusable digital commons.
The reference instrument is only one part of the project. The reusable value is the complete technical stack around it.
02 · FIRMWARE
Transparent control layer
Open device logic for sensing, actuation, safety, data acquisition and integration with external tools.
03 · LOCAL WEB APP
User-operated interface
Configuration and monitoring designed to work locally, with no mandatory account or proprietary cloud dependency.
04 · PROTOCOLS & API
Interoperable workflows
A machine-readable protocol layer so cultivation workflows can be exchanged, versioned and implemented by other tools.
05 · OPEN DATA
Reference runs
Shareable process datasets and growth signatures that help users compare runs and improve reproducibility.
06 · DOCUMENTATION
Reproducible by others
Build instructions, protocol documentation, test procedures and developer documentation aimed at independent reuse.
Design principles
Built around user agency, not lock-in.
MikroVivo treats openness as an architectural constraint rather than a publication step at the end.
01
Local first
Core operation should remain possible on the local network without a vendor-hosted backend.
02
Interoperable by default
Documented interfaces and portable protocols reduce dependence on one implementation.
03
Inspectable and modifiable
Users and developers should be able to understand how measurements and control decisions are produced.
04
Privacy-preserving
Minimise data collection and avoid making remote telemetry a requirement for using the device.
05
Permissionless innovation
Third parties should be able to create new modules, protocols and applications without asking the original vendor.
Why this matters
Open infrastructure for a field that is still difficult to access.
A reusable open reference platform can reduce the engineering work needed to create small-scale microbiology tools.
Machine-readable protocols and reference datasets can make process conditions easier to compare across devices and users.
Local operation and open interfaces let organisations keep control over their instruments, workflows and data.
Developed in Europe as an open technology commons, with the intention that the resulting building blocks remain globally reusable.
Current R&D roadmap
Concrete outputs, not a closed product demo.
The immediate objective is to turn the working concept into a documented, testable and independently reproducible open reference implementation.
01
Open reference hardware
PCB, BOM, mechanical files and build documentation.
02
Open firmware
Control, sensing, safety and device integration code.
03
Local-first WebApp + API
Accessible monitoring/configuration interface and documented integration endpoints.
04
Protocol specification
Portable representation for repeatable cultivation workflows.
05
Reference datasets
Initial documented runs for testing, comparison and community validation.
06
Quality & deployment
Testing, reproducible packaging/build steps, security hardening and usability/accessibility work.
Who can build on it
One commons. Multiple communities.
Learn by building.
Use an inspectable platform to teach microbial growth, sensing, automation and reproducible experimental workflows.
Extend the stack.
Create sensors, interfaces, protocol tools and new applications without depending on a closed ecosystem.
Prototype openly.
Explore and document small-scale cultivation workflows using a platform that can be modified to fit new contexts.
Open by commitment
The funded R&D should become a commons.
MikroVivo intends to publish project software and hardware under recognised free/open licences, publish scientific outcomes openly, and keep the funded building blocks usable independently of proprietary components.
Exact licence choices, governance details and release packages will be documented as the project matures.
UseRun the technology without a vendor account
StudyInspect hardware, software and protocols
ModifyAdapt the system to new applications
ShareRedistribute improvements under the applicable open licences
IntegrateBuild independent tools using documented interfaces
ForkPreserve continuity if the original project changes direction
MikroVivo is in active development
Interested in testing or contributing to the open stack?
We are looking for early users, educators, open-hardware developers and applied-biology collaborators who can help test reproducibility, interoperability and real-world usefulness.