Group:Biohacking

Biohacking / DIYBio at LHS

We're keen to get the nascent field of amateur biology going in the London Hackspace. Over the coming months we'll be developing research equipment, optimising techniques and running some research projects of our own. Most of the people involved aren't starting with a biology background, so get involved!

Events

Bugs and Sara ran an Introduction to Biohacking workshop, giving a crash course in molecular biology and a great overview of what biohackers around the world are getting up to. The talks were recorded and are now on YouTube: [Intro to mol. biol], [Groups around the world].

We also gave condensed versions of these talks at the Science Museum's Dana Centre, which seems to have netted us a few new members. Awesome.

Resources

Education

• Nature.com comic about Synthetic Biology - Nice introduction to playing with genetic engineering/cloning, though aimed at kids

• Bugs' Crash Course in Molecular Biology - Recorded at the hackspace
• Sara's Introduction the the Biohacking Community - Recorded at the hackspace

• Good introduction to gel electrophoresis - Explaining one of the core techniques for working with DNA
• Good introduction to the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) - Explaining one of the core techniques for working with DNA
• Nature.com article on Biohacking - Free access. Nice explanation of what's needed in a lab and how different groups are managing it.

• Bioinformatics Resources

Community

• Interesting DIYBio community blog - Interesting blog taking articles from a few different groups
• Bio Curious - A well-established bihacking group in California
• Brain-Computer interface at Paris hackspace
• Nature.com article about biohacking community - Not the same one as above. Interesting, but behind a paywall :(.
  • you can access it here: http://www.synbioproject.org/process/assets/files/6452/_draft/nbt-2009-12d_-_biotech_nin_the_basement.pdf -- kanzure 70.114.205.110 19:40, 2 January 2011 (UTC)

Equipment

• Thermal Cycler (PCR Machine); Perkin Elmer 480
• Open Source, Hackable PCR machine - We'll probably buy one of these when they become available
• Light Bulb PCR " less than $50 to build this machine (including the $30 arduino)"
• Open Source Electrophoresis tanks - They sell kits, but we can probably just use their published plans to laser-cut our own
• Dremelfuge - microcentrifuge to be made on a 3D printer. We have one, but using it is a bit ... character building. Need to print a new one.

Wishlist

With guesstimated cost.

For PCR:

• Primers (£20)
• PCR Reagents (£40)
• Pipette & tips (£30)
• 0.5ml tubes (£10)

For electrophoresis:

• Power source (100V, low hundreds of mA; we have this)
• Agarose (£30)
• TBE Tablets (£10)
• Ladder (£20)
• Loading buffer (£20)
• Gel red/SYBR safe (£30)

This would give us the immediate means to do gene detection (by designing primers that mark particular genes.) E.g.:

• Detection of species ("lamb curry test")
• Detection of variants of species (e.g. detect known traits based on published gene sequences)
• Detection of genetic modifications (GMO food)
• We can also send the results to a sequencing lab to get data back.

Later, with additional equipment, we could then:

• do our own sequencing
• experiment with cloning (would probably need to get licensed first)
• experiment with making GMOs (would definitely need to get licensed first)

Contact

If you want to chat about biohacking, post to the Mailing List or contact one of us directly :).

Pledges

Assorted biohacking pledges can be found here. Current Pledges:

• PCR

FAQ

• official do-it-yourself biology FAQ

News

• DIYbio-in-the-news is listed on the FAQ..