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.

Projects

• DNA forensics
• Algal biodiesel

Lab Notebook Entries

• 13-04-2011 First attempt at electrophoresis of DNA on agarose gel
• 11-05-2011 Gene detection trial run: Cheek swab -> PCR -> Electrophoresis

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.
• Wet stuff Wet stuff: our inventory of primers, buffers, stains...

PCR primer design

• http://www.cybertory.org/exercises/primerDesign/index.html
• http://www.premierbiosoft.com/tech_notes/PCR_Primer_Design.html
• http://www.premierbiosoft.com/primerdesign/index.htm
• http://molbiol-tools.ca/PCR.htm
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/tools/primer-blast/index.cgi?LINK_LOC=BlastHome
• http://www.bioinformatics.nl/cgi-bin/primer3plus/primer3plus.cgi
• http://bibiserv.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/genefisher2/

Suppliers

Cf. Suppliers.

• Sigma-Aldrich - Don't seem to want to sell to us
• Cole-Parmer
• Farnell
• NBSBio - Order placed with them, lets see whether they deliver... [NB: Be sure to navigate to http://www.nbsbio.co.uk NOT http://nbsbio.co.uk, or their payment system doesn't work. Weird.]
• New England Biolabs Free sample of Taq polymerase requested, let's see whether they deliver...
• VWR] - Big supplier of chemicals, glassware and various lab stuff. Sounds very positive about selling to the hackspace. Bugs is in the process of setting up an account with them.

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:

• Gene detection experiment kit

Proposed code of conduct

See here: http://wiki.hackspace.org.uk/wiki/Biohacking/Code_of_Conduct

FAQ

• official do-it-yourself biology FAQ

News

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

Electrophoresis box

• 7 / Apr / 2011: Photos from the outer box construction are here: http://lardcave.net/biohacking/
• 13 April 2001: Photos of the first Electrophoresis experiment

We've made one. Measurements for the outer box, in mm:

   Width: 102.45 to 102.9 (not a perfect glue job)
   Height to top (container): 31.8
   Height to top holes (for electrodes): 22.16
   Depth: about 171
   Thickness (of the perspex): about 3.2

Measurements for the inner box (which we ended up using, roughly):

   Width: 100
   Height to top: 20
   Depth: 100

So that is two panels measuring 100 x 20 (for the sides), and one panel measuring 100 x 100 (for the bottom).