Group:Biohacking
Biohacking / DIYBio at LHS
We're keen to get the naescent 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 molucular 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.
The next event planned is the Project Planning Workshop, at 19:00 on Sat 15th January. Come along and hear about (or present!) ideas for projects to get biohacking in London underway, and volunteer to join any project(s) that you think sound cool.
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.
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
- Open Source, Hackable PCR machine - We'll probably buy one of these when they become available
- 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.
Contact
If you want to chat about biohacking, post to the Mailing List or contact one of us directly :).
FAQ
News
- DIYbio-in-the-news is listed on the FAQ.. and pasted here :-)
- 2010-12-31: Use the Data for All They're Worth (genomeweb.com) (re: Journal of Participatory Medicine)
- 2010-12-31: DIYbio, a 2010 year in review (letters.cunningprojects.com)
- 2010-12-30: Transcending the Human, DIY Style (Wired)
- 2010-12-27: Managing Scientific Inquiry in a Laboratory the Size of the Web (NYTimes)
- 2010-12-24: Science, Law Enforcement Build Biotech Bridges (Science Magazine/AAAS)
- 2010-12-23: Citizen Science Genomics as a Model for Crowdsourced Preventive Medicine Research (Journal of Participatory Medicine)
- 2010-12-22: Technology: A flavour of the future (nature.com)
- 2010-12-22: Future Foragers: Dunne & Raby Redesign Human Digestion to Redefine "Food" (good.is)
- 2010-12-22: Biotech for the masses (motherboard.tv)
- 2010-12-21: Biohacklab: Prochain meeting: Mardi 11 Janvier & atelier Neurohack (bio.tmplab.org)
- 2010-12-21: Identifying the sea changes and opportunities in "biohacking" (thinktech.honadvblogs.com)
- 2010-12-21: OpenPCR at the Grenswerk Art Festival (Enschede, the Netherlands) (openpcr.org)
- 2010-12-19: Turning Geek Into Chic (NY Times)
- 2010-12-17: Genspace: Open for Business (genspace.org) ([1], msnbc)
- 2010-12-17: Despite Concerns, Brooklyn's New Lab Is Not For Making Meth (observer.com)
- 2010-12-16: DIY Biotech Hacker Space Opens in NYC (Wired) ([2])
- 2010-12-16: Synthetic biology needs oversight not over-regulation, commission finds. (Nature News) also on SciAm, KurzweilAI, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, The Scientist
- 2010-12-16: Home Labs on the Rise for the Fun of Science (NY Times)
- 2010-12-16: Bay Area Aging: A summary of important themes in aging research (Melanie Swan) (mariakonovalenko.wordpress.com)
- 2010-12-15: The rise of the genome bloggers: Hobbyists add depth to ancestry trawls. (Nature News)
- 2010-12-07: Synthetic biology: The innovation and bioterrorism balance (ethicalcorp.com)
- 2010-12-07: Piracy in the age of DIYbio (diybio.org)
- 2010-12-05: Wetware (scenariosandstrategy.wordpress.com)
- 2010-12-02: Biopunk: DIY Scientists Hack the Software of Life, coming spring 2011 (marcuswohlsen.com)
- 2010-12-01: DIY Plant Genetic Engineering (howplantswork.wordpress.com)
- 2010-11-29: BioCurious? Interview with Joseph Jackson about DIY Biotech (arsbiologica.org)
- 2010-11-26: The Future of Science? (noodlemaz.wordpress.com)
- 2010-11-25: US 'artificial life' to take middle ground (bioethics2010bu.blogspot.com) or The Scientist
- 2010-11-22: I Brew, Therefore I am (diybio.org)
- 2010-11-19: More Stem Cell Magic (synthesis.cc)
- 2010-11-14: DIYbio at the iGEM conference (biologigaragen.org)
- 2010-11-12: Critical Art Ensemble on the import of garage biology today (p2pfoundation.net)
- 2010-11-05: DIYbio and the "MAN" (diybio.org)
- 2010-11-04: Whither “Biohackers?” (diybio.org)
- 2010-10-30: Open source-biologi baner vej for bioterror fra garagen (ing.dk)
- 2010-10-23: DIYBio gets a little more local...Bangalore just got one - is there one in your area? (chaaraka.blogspot.com)
- 2010-10-19: Bio-Hackers – Not Just a Title for a Bad Science Fiction Movie (blogs.ischool.utexas.edu)
- 2010-10-18: Garage ribofunk going mainstream (futurismic.com)
- 2010-10-15: DIY BioHacking (technomage.org)
- 2010-10-15: The Spread of Do-It-Yourself Biotech (slashdot.org)
- 2010-10-13: DIY biotechnology (wetmachine.com)
- 2010-10-12: Biohack the Planet! A New Generation of Hackers Sweep Across the Country (blogs.kentlaw.edu)
- 2010-10-11: A Do-It-Yourself Genomic Challenge to Myriad, the FDA and the Future of Genetic Tests (genomicslawreport.com)
- 2010-10-11: Garage biotech in Nature magazine (makezine.com) (crosspost; Lava-Amp)
- 2010-10-10: Consumer genomic testing update (futurememes.blogspot.com)
- 2010-10-08: On the importance of sequenced model organisms, & a crude taxonomy of their users (orthonormalruss.blogspot.com)
- 2010-10-08: The Garage Lab (genomeweb.com)
- 2010-10-07: More on Garage Biotech (pipeline.corante.com)
- 2010-10-06: Editorial: Garage biology: Amateur scientists who experiment at home should be welcomed by the professionals (nature.com)
- 2010-10-06: Garage biotech: Life hackers (nature.com)
- 2010-10-04: On spoofing (ellingtonlab.org)
- 2010-10-01: DIYbio NYC on the BioBus (makezine.com)
- 2010-09-29: Citizen Science and Biocurious (sugru.com)
- 2010-09-28: Interview with Melanie Swan of DIYgenomics (makezine.com)
- 2010-09-27: DIYbio NYC/BioBus Collaboration Wins MAKE Magazine Editors' Choice Award (diybionyc.blogspot.com)
- 2010-09-27: Genetic Science Oozes Out of Amateurs' Garages (livescience.com)
- 2010-09-25: On curiosity (ellingtonlab.org)
- 2010-09-23: Biohackers aim to open Silicon Valley lab for group research and lessons (mercurynews.com)
- 2010-09-20: $30,000 Given by 200+ People to Open Biotechnology Hackerspace (medgadget.com)
- 2010-09-18: An interview with Mark Frauenfelder (openwear.org)
- 2010-09-17: BioCurious and the DIY Science Movement (kickstarter.com)
- 2010-09-15: Quick thoughts on the bioethics commission meeting (sciencepark.cc)
- 2010-09-11: The future of biotech patents (hatewasabi.wordpress.com)
- 2010-09-01: Personalized investigation (nature.com)
- 2010-09-01: Biotech revolution must start with education (hplusmagazine.com)
- 2010-09-01: Do-It-Yourself Bioengineers Bedeviled by Society's Paranoia (genengnews.com)
- 2010-08-25: itty bitty hydroponic grow box (boingboing.net)
- 2010-08-24: Cheap PCR: new low cost machines challenge traditional designs (biotechniques.com)
- 2010-08-24: Biohackers – the geneticists in the garage (euroscientist.com)
- 2010-08-18: Otyp nears Kickstarter goal to make DNA thermal cyclers for high schoolers (boingboing.net)
- 2010-08-17: Synthetic biology, ethics, and the hacker culture (2020science.org)
- 2010-08-16: OTYP is Making Biotech Cool (huffingtonpost.com)
- 2010-08-13: Garage-lab bugs: spread of bioscience increases bioterrorism risks (homelandsecuritynewswire.com)
- 2010-08-03: Making the modern do-it-yourself biology laboratory (video) (singularityhub.com)
- 2010-08-03: Citizen Science, Microfinanced Research, Patent Trolls, and Pharma Prizes: A Final Dispatch from Open Science Summit (reason.com)
- 2010-08-02: Biotech movement hopes to spur rise of citizen scientists (boston.com)
- 2010-07-30: Review of Open Science Summit 2010 (Thursday session) (singularityhub.com)
- 2010-07-30: Crowd-sourced science funding (blogs.nature.com)
- 2010-07-30: Scenes from the Open Science Summit (reason.com)
- 2010-07-15: Eri Gentry's biotech revolution (wired.co.uk) also on diybio.org
- 2010-07-14: DIY Biotechnologists Go Looking for a Bigger Garage (theatlantic.com)
- 2010-07-07: The Open Science Shift (xconomy.com)
- 2010-07-07: A new biology in the twenty first century: the project (fieldtest.us)
- 2010-07-06: Curing Cancer in a Garage? (iftf.org)
- 2010-07-05: Help fund a hackerspace for biology (boingboing.net)
- 2010-07-05: Biocurious; a Hackerspace for Biotechnology. Please Help!
- 2010-06-30: The New Hacker Hobby That Will Change the World (technewsworld.com); (Hacker News)
- 2010-06-29: Responsible science for DIY biologists (prnewswire.com)
- 2010-06-26: Let's get the biotech revolution started - support biocurious!
- 2010-06-22: Storm the Royal Society?
- 2010-06-22: The science behind the tour
- 2010-06-22: Citizen scientists: easy ideas for kids and adults to study the environment (annarbor.com)
- 2010-06-22: Institute for the Future Announces BodyShock: Call for Entries (pr-inside.com)
- 2010-06-22: Five mobile health contests you should know (mobihealthnews.com)
- 2010-06-21: Do we need a DIYbio Academy? (molecularist.com)
- 2010-06-21: Biotech Tools (ponoko.com)
- 2010-06-16: Bringing biohacking to the masses (blogs.discovermagazine.com)
- 2010-06-16: Citizen Science: Birders Contribute Valuable Data on Invasive Plant Species (sciencedaily.com)
- 2010-06-16: Fluorescent Black Arrives in July
- 2010-06-14: Recognizing Lightweight Innovation: Key Characteristics and Technology Drivers (iftf.org)
- 2010-06-11: Cockroach pimps a sweet ride (hackaday.com)
- 2010-06-07: The Tumbling Walls of Formal Science (fightaging.org)
- 2010-06-03: The importance of speed in PCR (openpcr.org)
- 2010-06-01: Not so scary: synthetic life (poptranshumanism.com)
- 2010-06-01: Growing Public Interest In Genetic Science Sparks Some Bio-Security Concerns (National Defense Magazine)
- 2010-05-25: Who's afraid of synthetic biology? (reason.com)
- 2010-05-20: Make-offs: DIY indie innovations. How low-cost, open-source tools are energizing DIY. (O'Reilly Radar)
- 2010-05-04: Citizen Scientists Attract FBI's WMD Unit (Burn After Reading)
- 2010-04-26: Amateurs explore their genomes via DNA cocktail (boston.com)
- 2010-04-23: Gør-det-selv-biotek er på vej til din garage (Ingeniøren)
- 2010-04-09: Garage biology
- 2010-04-09: 3D printing aids biohacking (fabbaloo.com)
- 2010-04-09: Bioengineering technology is maturing, and so is its vocabulary
- 2010-03-31: Life hacking with 3D printing and DIY DNA kits (BBC)
- 2010-03-28: The shift from top-down to bottom-up production (brief mention)
- 2010-03-25: Andrew Hessel talks about synthetic biology and diybio (diybio4beginners)
- 2010-03-24: Garage Biology Bad for Science?
- 2010-03-23: DIYbio and the Gentleman Scientist
- 2010-03-12: Garage biotech (In The Pipeline)
- 2010-03-11: The Roving Eye: Clamatology, A Bio-Garage In Silicon Valley, Mickey The Crony Capitalist
- 2010-03-11: BioSecurity: How synthetic biology is changing the way we look at biology and biological threats
- 2010-03-08: Garage Biology in Silicon Valley; see it on Make Magazine, The Technium (Kevin Kelly), ...
- 2010-03-07: The promise of biotech
- 2010-03-04: Letters: Do it yourself genetic engineering (NY Times)
- 2010-03-03: Biology Student to Hold Biohacking Meeting at CCBC
- 2010-03-02: Inexpensive gene copier for DIY molecular biology (boingboing.net)
- 2010-02-26: Biotech on a Budget
- 2010-02-16: DIY Genetics-Biotechnology by Parents, Artists, and...Potential Terrorists (blogs.kentlaw.edu)
- 2010-02-16: From Hackerspace To Your Garage: Downloading DIY Hardware Over the Web (H+ Magazine)
- 2010-02-14: The wild world of DIY synthetic biology: Get your designer life forms here! (popsci.com)
- 2010-02-14: Do-it-yourself genetic engineering (NY Times)
- 2010-02-12: DNA Discovery in Middle School (diybio.org)
- 2010-02-02: Biohacking - Auf der Suche nach Hacks und Exploits in Molekülen und Gensträngen (Chaos Radio Podcast Network)
- 2010-01-25: Why DIY Bio? (H+ Magazine)
- 2010-01-25: Open-Source Lab Promises Free DNA Parts for Bioengineers (popsci.com)
- 2010-01-22: DIYbio: Growing movement takes on aging in H+ Magazine; discussed on Slashdot, reddit and ycombinator hackernews; futurismic;
- 2010-01-15: Culturing bioluminescent microbes, part 1 (has100ideas.com)
- 2010-01-10: Reinventing the Pharmaceutical Industry, without the Industry (The Futurist)
- 2009-12-27: Taking Biological Research Out Of The Laboratory (NPR)
- 2009-12-20: Do-it-yourself biology grows with technology (SF Chronicle)
- 2009-12-14: The need for plain English diybio safety guidelines
- 2009-12-14: Bio-Bastler. „Kreative Wissenschaftsbürger“. (Profil)
- 2009-11-20: Gen-Manipulation am heimischen Küchentisch (welt.de)
- 2009-11-13: diybio-nyc at nycresistor
- 2009-10-31: LavaAmp: Cheap Pocket PCR Thermocycler Dreamed for DIY Biologists
- 2009-09-11: Synthetic biology will bring us a slimy, moist future (wired.co.uk)
- 2009-09-03: Tinkering with DNA (The Economist) paywall alert
- 2009-08-26: And the Innovation Continues...Starting with Shake and Bake Meth! (synthesis.cc)
- 2009-08-19: DIYbio and Authentic Learning
- 2009-08-06: DIY bio groups forming
- 2009-08-01: Am I a biohazard? (The Scientist)
- 2009-07-25: DIYbio, biohackers, and Open Source Medicine
- 2009-07-20: DIYbio considers mushroom identification (mycorant.com)
- 2009-06-18: CNC Plotter: A platform for DIY Bio/rapid-prototyping/sculpture-image experiments (invivia.com)
- 2009-06-15: Darning Genes: Biology for the Homebody
- 2009-06-12: Teen Diagnoses Her Own Disease In Science Class (slashdot.org); cnn
- 2009-06-03: Another Step Toward DIYStemCells (synthesis.cc)
- 2009-06-02: Extending the free software paradigm to DIY Biology (freesoftwaremagazine.com)
- 2009-06-01: The death of DIY Bio? Or the birth of a new cuisine.... (Gourmet Magazine)
- 2009-05-18: In attics and closets, "biohackers" prove the spirit of Thomas Edison endures
- 2009-05-15: Garage Ribofunk: The Rise of Homebrew Genetic Engineering
- 2009-05-14: Biohacking: harmless hobby or global threat?
- 2009-05-12: In Attics and Closets, 'Biohackers' Discover Their Inner Frankenstein
- 2009-04-29: Who is diybio.org? (Singularity Hub)
- 2009-04-28: Do-it-yourself biohacking (Singularity Hub)
- 2009-04-14: What's in my closet? A biology lab (JSCMS)
- 2009-04-02: DIYbio San Francisco - Glow in the Dark 1 (diybio.org)
- 2009-03-18: The Geneticist in the Garage (The Guardian)
- 2009-03-16: Genomeweb.com article (?)
- 2009-03-16: DIY bio, programming culture, and the cultural divide
- 2009-02-16: Homemade Molecular Biology Labs aim to create Synthetic Life (labtimes.org)
- 2009-01-20: Biohacking: The Open Wetware Future
- 2009-01-19: DIY DNA: One Father's Attempt to Hack His Daughter's Genetic Code (Wired)
- 2009-01-07: Rise of the garage genome hackers (New Scientist)
- 2009-01-06: DIY bioengineering - recap of the recent MIT Soapbox session on DIYbio (ginkgobioworks.com)
- 2009-01-04: DIY biology projects - What's your motivation? (scienceblogs.com)
- 2009-01-01: DIYbio for biohackers (makezine.com)
- 2008-12-30: Students, Scientists Build Biological Machines (transcript) (Lehrer on PBS) (video)
- 2008-12-29: DIY bio will not end the world
- 2008-12-25: Amateurs are trying genetic engineering at home (Slashdot)
- 2008-12-18: Público: Biohackers: reventar y reinventar la biología desde los garajes
- 2008-12-11: The Biohacking Hobbyist (Seed Magazine)
- 2008-09-15: Household biohacking coming to a neighborhood near you! (blog.openwetware.org)
- 2008-09-15: Hackers aim to make biology household practice
- 2008-08-22: Fish Tale Has DNA Hook: Students Find Bad Labels (NY Times)
- 2008-06-13: Synthetic biology, ethics and the hacker culture (2020science.org)
- 2008-06-06: A Homebrew Club for Biogeeks (io9.com)
- 2008-05-24: Don't Phage Me, Bro (diybio.org)
- 2008-05-19: DIY Synthetic Biology
- 2008-03-05: The conditions of a mass biotech DIY movement
- 2007-11-06: Homebrew Molecular Biology Club
- 2007-11-05: Patient's vision: Treating cancer without chemo
- 2007-11-04: An Intel Approach to Meds
- 2007-07-19: Our Biotech Future by Freeman Dyson (NY Books)
- 2007-06-14: Terrorizing the artists in the USA
- 2007-01-24: What is BioDIY?
- 2006-08-18: Make Magazine: Backyard Biology (Make Magazine)
- 2006-04-23: Biotech DIYers, do not hesitate
- 2005-05-01: Splice it yourself (Wired)
- 2005-04-28: The Future of Open Source Biotechnology (fightaging.org)
- 2004-06-02: Offbeat Materials at Professor's Home Set Off Bioterror Alarm (Washington Post)
- 2002-11-21: The Future and its Friends (In The Pipeline)