A Ph.D. candidate at UGA, Mason McNair can make almost anything out of plastic.
When the pandemic struck, Mason McNair turned his hobby of tinkering with 3D printers into a useful tool in his research laboratory. As supply chain issues started impacting his research, he started building the tools he needed rather than waiting for them to arrive.
Soon, he was printing things for other researchers and today, he works with several 3D-printing enthusiasts across the country to create educational tools for science.
Since most 3D printers run off of similar computer programs, files can be shared with ease. As McNair builds a new file, he uploads them for free onto databases for others to use in their labs. Not only do these 3D printer files help others, but they can build scientific tools at a fraction of the cost.
