Say i had access to a 3D printer that could print in a variety of plastics including HPDE. metal parts and software excluded, i believe that it would be possible to make most of the parts of currently extremely expensive labware.

What would be some of the labware we could build DIY style with a 3D printing machine. What machines or labware would be on high demand if it were openly available for cheap?

think outside the box . get back to me, i have a feeling this is going to open up alot of doors for people.

My first thought was "3D printing is very expensive"... but probably still less expensive than a lot of equipment you could make with it.

It'd depend on the equipment, I guess. Remember that you'll need to be careful if you're going commercial using patented equipment you've copied exactly to create your product; I don't know what the laws are there.

I have seen the results of opensource 3d printers (makerbot/reprap) last year at the c3. They were really unsatisfying. I don't think the technology is ready for that, at least not yet.

May have only seen bad examples though, I'll try to get a look at some of the stuff at this years c3.

Well, well, well...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12507034

Now check this out:

Yeah, Dr. Atala was also on TED lectures. He has printed a bladder for one of his patients, and apparently it worked quite well. I wonder how he prints vasculature into the kidney...