DIYbio/FAQ: Difference between revisions

From OpenWetWare
Jump to navigationJump to search
(Added some regional videos.)
(Update rev and add template to other locations for obvious navigation)
 
(302 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''DIYbio FAQ v1.0''' - copied on 4/7/2009 from [http://heybryan.org/mediawiki/index.php/DIYbio_FAQ heybryan.org...DIYbio_FAQ] - '''update mercilessly'''
{{DIYbio:Top}}




There have been many amazingly useful discussions on the mailing list, but unfortunately we collectively forget what we have talked about because we haven't yet assembled a FAQ to give to new members. Where can they possibly buy supplies? Where can they read up on [http://protocol-online.org/ protocols]? What books have been recommended to DIYbio amateurs in the past? And so on. There is a lot of good information. So, how can you help this FAQ? The biggest thing at the moment would be to go through the [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio mailing list] and find three of the most insightful and useful topics that you've seen there. It's okay if you started it, or if you were the one who started asking the question, as it's probably something valuable, and just add it to the bottom of the page, or try to fit it into a category or question that others probably have. This way, we can begin to build up this document to a somewhat reasonable state.
This Frequently Asked Questions document is for the [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio DIYBio mailing list]. ''This FAQ is now split into multiple topics for easier reading.''


= FAQ Revision History =
* 1.0 - copied on 4/7/2009 from [http://heybryan.org/mediawiki/index.php/DIYbio_FAQ heybryan.org...DIYbio_FAQ]
* 1.1 - some updates to clarify original version
* 1.2 - new sections, reorg, + sections about DIY agar DOI:10.1007/BF00152620 --'''[[User:Jonathan Cline|jcline@ieee.org]]'''
* 1.3 - expand projects sections.  Add Laboratory Basics section. --'''[[User:Jonathan Cline|jcline@ieee.org]]'''
* 1.4 - add 'Methods' section, move Laboratory Basics into 'Methods' --'''[[User:Jonathan Cline|jcline@ieee.org]]'''
* 1.5 - Add 'News' section, move news articles there. [[User:Jonathan Cline|jcline@ieee.org]] 23:40, 23 May 2011 (EDT)
* 1.6 - Multiple updates to project section [[User:Jonathan Cline|jcline@ieee.org]] 00:20, 6 September 2012 (EDT)


= What is DIYbio, as an organization? =
= What is DIYbio, as an organization? =
Line 9: Line 19:




DIYbio is a distributed community of amateur biologists. Our activities range across a broad spectrum, from molecular naturalism (sequencing part of your own genome or bacterial populations) to biological engineering (RFP lactobacillus -> melanometer) to building low-cost, open-source alternative lab equipment (Gel Box 2.0).
DIYbio is a distributed community of amateur or professional biologists, industry professional or amateur engineers, biomedical engineers, life scientists, computer scientists, etc. Our activities range across a broad spectrum, from molecular naturalism (sequencing part of your own genome or bacterial populations) to biological engineering to building low-cost, open-source alternative lab equipment (Gel Box 2.0) to writing open source software for biology, to creating open source hardware systems and manufacturing.
 


<html>
<html>
Line 18: Line 27:
</html>
</html>


* [http://diybio.org/blog blog]
* [http://diybio.org/blog DIYBio blog]
* [http://friendfeed.com/rooms/diybio friendfeed]
* [http://friendfeed.com/rooms/diybio DIYBio friendfeed]
* [http://twitter.com/DIYbio twitter feed]
* [http://twitter.com/DIYbio DIYBio twitter feed]
 
 
== What is DIYbio's mission? ==
 
{{DIYbio:Top}}
 
 
""*The* goal of DIYBIO, for me, is to reduce as much as possible the specialized equipment handicap for those who choose not to take the degree track / academic institution approach. I can become a professor of electrical engineering, or computer science, or evolutionary biology, without ever getting a degree or attending a course below the PhD level. I can't currently say the same thing about biotechnology with much confidence unless I'm lucky enough to have access to a lab. [...] DIYbio is a hardware hacking endeavor at its core, and it's the hardware hackers working hand-in-hand with the protocol authors who are laying the groundwork for making this a field open to anyone with the drive to become great at it.  ""
:: -- Len Sassaman, DIYbio google group
 
== Are we moving to a future where everyone performs a little genetic engineering? Is genetic engineering safe?  Are GMO's safe?  Is genetic engineering safe for hackers or everyone to perform?  Aren't there too many risks or unknowns?  Is it legal or illegal? ==
 
Today, everyone performs a "little" computer use, whereas decades ago leaders in the computer field claimed regular people would never need a computer.  Decades before that, leaders in the transportation field claimed regular people would never need a car or would never need high speed travel.  Eventually these technologies became usable enough for everyone, and somewhat indispensable.  ''Looking many decades ahead, genetic engineering will likely be a common place activity, as with any technology.''


= How can I get involved? =
Regarding whether genetic engineering is safe for hackers or for everyone, the group invites discussion.  There are the key points:
 
* There are many unknowns in genetic engineering ("We don't know").
 
* There are many more unknowns than we currently know are unknown ("We don't know what we don't know").
 
* There are methods to contain genetic engineering experiments to a clean laboratory with only small amounts of risk ("We can reduce the possibility of problems during experimentation").
 
* There are unknown risks if genetic engineering experiments escape into the wild ("We don't know").
 
'''Readers are encouraged to check out [http://www.macrovu.com/image/GMimg/infoMrlUnknwnsInGMv7.pdf "What we know--and what we don't know--about ecological risks of genetically engineered plants" as of 2001] knowledge map on risk from [http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/ Robert Horn at Stanford].'''  ''If you have a more recent and easy-to-read summary of Risk than the paper from 2000/2001, then add it here.''
 
'''Readers are encouraged to watch the documentary, "The Future of Food" on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food '''
 
* Open-Source Biology And Its Impact on Industry, Rob Carlson,  IEEE Spectrum, 2001.
::""Technology based on intentional, open-source biology is on its way, whether we like it or not. Distributed biological manufacturing is the future of the global economy and will occur as inexpensive, quality DNA sequencing and synthesis equipment becomes available to anyone. In 2050, garage biology hacking will be well under way. Fear of potential hazards should be met with increased research and education, rather than closing the door on the profound positive impacts that distributed biological technology will have on human health, human impacts on the environment, and increasing standards of living around the world. ""  http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0613.html?printable=1
 
* Schmidt M, 2008. Diffusion of synthetic biology: a challenge to biosafety. Systems and Synthetic Biology. Vol.2(1-2):1-6. http://www.markusschmidt.eu/pdf/Diffusion_of_synthetic_biology.pdf
:: ""[..] more and more people outside the traditional biotechnology community will create self-replicating machines (life) for civil and defence applications, ‘‘bio-hackers’’ will engineer new life forms at their kitchen table; and illicit substances will be produced synthetically and much cheaper. Such a scenario is a messy and dangerous one, and we need to think about appropriate safety standards now. ""
 
* IRGC 2008. Concept note: Synthetic Biology. Risks and opportunities of an emerging field. International Risk Governance Council, Geneva. http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads/pdf/IRGC_ConceptNote_SyntheticBiology_Final_30April.pdf
:: ""Suggestions have also been made for dealing with biosafety issues to do with the accidental (rather than purposeful) release of synthetic organisms. Tucker and Zilinskas (2006), for example, think that the precautionary principle should be adopted with respect to synthetic biology saying that ''it may be necessary to ban all uses in the open environment until a robust risk assessment can be conducted for each proposed application'' (p.44). Others think that this step would make research expensive and restrict synthetic biology to a few labs (Garfinkel et al. 2007). ""
 
 
 
=== What are the social, ethical, legal/patent implications of DIY Bio or home genetic engineering? How might it be best to create more social, ethical, legal/patent discussion? ===
 
These issues are discussed very well in the publications of SYNBIOSAFE, which includes discussion of DIYbio itself.
 
* SYNBIOSAFE publications: Safety, Security and Ethical Aspects of Synthetic Biology.  http://www.synbiosafe.eu/index.php?page=resources
** Schmidt et al. 2009. A priority paper for the societal and ethical aspects of synthetic biology. Systems and Synthetic Biology. Vol.3(1-4):1-2 http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads/pdf/Schmidt_etal-2009-SSBJ.pdf
** Kelle A. 2009. Ensuring the security of synthetic biology—towards a 5P governance strategy. Systems and Synthetic Biology. Vol.3(1-4): 85-90  http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads/pdf/Kelle-2009-SSBJ.pdf
** Schmidt M, Torgersen H, Ganguli-Mitra A, Kelle A, Deplazes A, Biller-Andorno N. 2008. SYNBIOSAFE e-conference: online community discussion on the societal aspects of synthetic biology. Systems and Synthetic Biology. http://www.markusschmidt.eu/pdf/SSBJ-SYNBIOSAFE_e-conference.pdfVol.2(1-2):7-17
 
* Rob Carlson on THE ECONOMIST
** http://audiovideo.economist.com/?fr_story=706e536c2a60f103f23adcc3f0c0c76150dfbe6b&rf=bm  ''Rob Carlson on synthetic biology.  You can do a lot in your garage. A professor of biosynthesis on open-source biology, buying DNA online and the problem with patents.''
<html><center><iframe src='http://video.economist.com/linking/index.jsp?skin=oneclip&ehv=http://audiovideo.economist.com/&fr_story=706e536c2a60f103f23adcc3f0c0c76150dfbe6b&rf=ev&hl=true' width=402 height=336 scrolling='no' frameborder=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0></iframe></center></html>
 
* '''Webcasts'''
** Patenting Synthetic Biology: A Transatlantic Perspective.  http://www.synbioproject.org/events/archive/6384/  ( Go to the link and click "View Webcast".)  Investments in synthetic biology research have been ramping up and the field holds significant promise across areas ranging from medicine to renewable energy.  As synthetic biology moves forward, it is critical for researchers, technology developers, investors, and public policy makers to understand how the European Patent Office and the U.S.  Patent and Trademark Office will react and respond to the applications covering synthetic biology inventions.  This is a unique opportunity to discuss factors influencing EU and U.S. policies on the evolution of intellectual property protection for synthetic biology with experts from both sides of the Atlantic.  '''John LeGuyader, Director TC 1600, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Berthold Rutz, Examiner, Directorate 2.4.01, Biotechnology, European Patent Office'''
** ''Bioethics: The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues'', The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.,  July 8-9, 2010.  http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/bioethics/100708/default.cfm . Drew Endy, Bonnie L. Bassler, Robert Carlson, J. Craig Venter, George Church, Kristala L. J. Prather, Allison Snow, Jim Thomas, Nancy M.P. King, Gregory Kaebnick, Allen Buchanan, David Rejeski, Markus Schmidt, Paul Root Wolpe, Amy Patterson, Michael Rodemeyer, Edward H. You.
 
 
Other Papers:
 
* Selgelid M. 2007. The tale of two studies: Ethics, Bioterrorism, and the Censorship of Science. Hastings Center Report 37, no. 3:35-43.  http://www.synbiosafe.eu/uploads///pdf/Tale%20Two%20Studies%20Final%20Printed.pdf
* Rai A, and Boyle J. 2007. Synthetic Biology: Caught between Property Rights, the Public Domain, and the Commons. PLoS Biol. 13;5(3):e58  http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0050058
 
* Church G., 2005, Let us go forth and safely multiply. Nature, Vol. 438: 423. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7067/pdf/438423a.pdf
::""A code of ethics and standards should emerge for biological engineering as it has done forother engineering disciplines. [...] Above all, outreach is required. Genetically modified products, including crops and gene-therapy drugs, have been opposed for reasons that go beyond worries about scientific uncertainties. Citizens who will gladly take recombinant-DNA drugs (such as interferon, insulinand erythropoietin) are reluctant to eat foods containing even trace amounts of recombinant DNA. Can synthetic biology gain greater public trust? We should learn from past cases; in the case of foods generated by synthetic biology, for example, we need to recognize that stakeholders include not just the farmers, but their neighbours and grocery shoppers also. [...] In addition to a code of professional ethics for synthetic biologists, we need to watch for the rare cases when they transgress. This requires not just laws, but also monitoring compliance. [..] Discussions about this have begun, including one funded by the Sloan Foundation ('Study to explore risks, benefits of synthetic genomics').  But any actions that penalize the legitimate manufacturer or user are likely to backfire, and having laws without government-mandated surveillance will be ineffective.  Finally, the community needs to discuss the benefits of synthetic engineering to balance the necessary, but distracting, focus on risks.  From now on, each small step towards engineering enzymatic pathways for cheaper pharmaceuticals, smart biomaterials and large-scale integrated genetic circuits should be celebrated. ""
 
* ""Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser [2004] 1 S.C.R. 902, 2004 SCC 34 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on patent rights for biotechnology. The court heard the question of whether growing genetically modified plants constitutes "use" of the patented invention of genetically modified plant cells. It ruled that it does. The case drew worldwide attention.""  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto_Canada_Inc._v._Schmeiser
 
=== Are there Historical Precedents or Prior Cases which have Demonstrated these Issues? ===
 
==== U.S. ====
 
DIY/homebrew chemistry is already adversely affected by the War on Drugs via government regulations intended to limit manufacture of methamphetamine.
 
  There is a really interesting parallel between potential DIYbio
  regulations and attempts to quash meth production in America. Biotech-
  commentator Robert Carlson published an article in 2008 (
  http://www.springerlink.com/content/n211746672413507/ ) which confirms
  the point you mention--mom and pop (drug-manufacturing) outfits changed into cartels across
  the US border when the DOJ/DEA tried to crack down by controlling
  access to DIY-meth materials. On his blog,
  http://www.synthesis.cc/2009/08/and-the-innovation-continuesnow-for-shake-and-bake-meth.html
  and in his new book, he predicts a similar phenomenon will befall
  biological engineering and DIY-biology if the government tries to
  restrict access to materials. Luckily for DIYbio enthusiasts, Carlson
  is also involved in some public policy and expert panels.
:: -- Marshall Louis Reaves, DIYbio google group
 
 
==== Arizona, 2009 ====
 
Recent example where a homebrew chemistry project runs into danger due to an accident, perhaps causing larger scrutiny for others in the future.
 
  A super interesting case study of this behavior(*) is homebrew bio-diesel in Arizona. 
  [ * - Referring to social issues and/or government regulation stemming
  from bad media portrayals or accidents in homebrew experimentation. -- JC ]
  Without going into too much detail, homebrewers use chemicals that can
  mostly be purchased at swimming pool supply stores (lots of those in
  the desert) including methanol and NaOH. Last summer, a homebrewer's
  oily rags ignited methanol in his garage. An explosion and house fire
  followed. A local news article about the blast:
  http://www.google.com/search?q=Fumes+from+biodiesel+kit+cause+house+explosion+in+Surprise&btnI=745
  You should note how demonized and terrifying making the bio-diesel
  seems. The paragraphs essentially alternate between indicating safety
  and overblown fears.
  ""We knew about (Spreadbury) doing the biodiesel but we didn't think
  he was a danger to us," said neighbor Shannon Daron.
  When asked if she now felt differently, Daron replied "absolutely."
  The fire never spread beyond the garage and Spreadbury and his family
  were not injured.
  A spokesperson for the Surprise Fire Department said Sunday they're
  concerned more people will turn to alternative fuels like biodiesel
  with the rising price of gas.
  Asst. Chief Kevin Pool worries, if not installed and maintained
  properly, they could see more fires started by people making biodiesel
  at home.
  "You might make one little mistake like this and there could be a
  tragedy," said Pool.  "It's at your own risk and your neighbor's
  risk."
  "We just bought this house," said Daron.  "We don't want it
  jeopardized or our children.""
  It seems like an almost nonsensical work of journalism. Homebrew
  doesn't seem to get a fair play in the slightest. This was a serious
  black-eye for homebrew.
  Some cities in the Phoenix valley (Phoenix is a collection of
  independent cities) lashed back. A  "Bio-diesel Task Force" was
  formed, and some jurisdictions deemed homebrewing bio-diesel as
  "industrial activity" and therefore illegal in residential zones. A
  very easy "fix" for overzealous authorities. I'm not sure if searches
  or arrests/fines occurred. This could be a similar weapon used against
  DIYbio'ers, since many materials including simple enzymes could be
  "industrial" in nature. On the brighter side, some cities have adopted
  a pro-homebrewer stance by taking into account safety and zoning
  codes: http://tinyurl.com/ProBDcode  Throughout the state, chemicals
  are incredibly difficult to acquire, even in small amounts. The Meth-
  trade in Arizona doesn't help either.
  Although opinions differ--there are some very smart and well-
  positioned advocates of homebrew bio-diesel in Arizona--with one vital
  key to all of this is a separation of "safe" from "unsafe" practices.
  This is something that DIYbio'ers often seem to work towards. But the
  codification of best practices and vigorous dissemination of them
  seems to be working in homebrewers favor when talking with regulators:
  http://216.104.40.250/~biodcom1/greenbeat/soybenz/b101man/
  When people ask questions of safety, can DIYbio'ers point to a "Bible"
  of sorts to ask if it is a sin? This is especially important to
  separate the *good* parts of DIYbio from a more dangerous fringe if
  such a group exists now or in the future: We are good, they are the
  bad because they violate rules X, Y, and Z. Otherwise, the whole group
  gets labeled as bad, dangerous, or whatever, and this obviously leads
  to being outlawed.
  I know lots of people speculate about lots of futures of regulation
  and public perception, but I think that lessons can be learned form
  homebrew bio-diesel. A great resource is a the Desert Biofuels Blog at
  http://desertbiofuels.blogspot.com
:: -- Marshall Louis Reaves, DIYbio google group
 
== Who is a "biohacker"? ==
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/9faf557af36e1fd7/8e22f6f5133c0138?#8e22f6f5133c0138 What do people think of when they think of a typical biohacker?]
* probably in the sense of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(programmer_subculture) subculture] (more broadly, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_culture Hacker culture])
* combines the hacker ethic of biologists, programmers, DIY enthusiasts, etc.
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic Hacker ethic of the Homebrew Computer Club]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_movement Free software movement]
* people who enjoy "hacks".
** GNU is a hack: a recursive acronym for "GNU is Not Unix".
* might be somewhat related to [http://biopunk.org/ biopunk].
 
== How can I find out more and contribute? ==
Many ways! Here's a brief overview:
Many ways! Here's a brief overview:
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio mailing list] (most activity)
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio mailing list] (most activity) (note the [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/4c50d46c5d74b2eb discussion on the list's standards])
* IRC (#diybio on irc.freenode.net)
* IRC (#diybio on irc.freenode.net)
* local groups
* local groups


So far, we mainly communicate through the [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio mailing list], which is where the majority of people are listening in on the conversations and discussions. Since the volume of discussion can be extreme, there is also a very low volume [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-announce DIYbio announce] mailing list, which occassionally has announcements that the community might be interested in. Also, there are groups for [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-SF San Francisco], [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-chicago Chicago], [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-nyc New York] (city), [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-london London], and [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-boston Boston].
So far, we mainly communicate through the [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio mailing list]. There is also a lower volume [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-announce DIYbio announce] mailing list, which occassionally has announcements that the community might be interested in. Also, there are groups for:


You're welcome to show up on the mailing list- in fact, we encourage it. Just be sure to follow [http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html conventional netiquette] rules. Historically, the main DIYbio mailing list hasn't really set its foot down regarding top versus bottom posting (or even side posting or diagonal posting), but please do be kind and trim your replies. Reading about [http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html netiquette] wouldn't be a bad idea.
*[http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-SF San Francisco]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-chicago Chicago]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-nyc New York] (city)
*[http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-london London]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/diybio-boston Boston].
*The main list is (as mentioned above) [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio DIYBio mailing list]  


= Is there a group in my area? =
You're welcome to subscribe to the mailing lists- in fact, we encourage it.
 
There are other forums:
*[http://biopunk.org/ biopunk.org]
*[http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/ sciencemadness.org]
*''please expand this list''
 
== Guidelines for Posting ==
 
'''As the DIYBio mailing list membership grows, it is more important to follow good guidelines for easier readability within discussions.'''  This is called '''Netiquette.'''
 
Please:
 
* Follow proper quoting rules:
<pre>
One should reply using the standard technique:
 
    User C. wrote:
    > User B. wrote:
    > > User A. wrote:
    > > > blablabla
    > > blubberblubber
    > laberlaber
 
    Your Thoughtful Reply Goes Here.
</pre>
 
For complete information on quoting, see [http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html conventional netiquette].
* When quoting another author, keep the attribution line ("On such-and-such-date, Jonathan Cline wrote:").
** Delete portions of the paragraph which do not pertain to the new reply.  This is known as ''Trimming the post''. 
** Trim all quoted text to be the minimum necessary to follow the discussion.
*** Replace deleted text with "[...]" if it changes the placement of words or sentences in a paragraph.
* ''Add your message below any quoted text.  This means "write your reply at the bottom".''
**Do not "top post".  "Top posting" is when the reply is added above the quoted text.  This is not as easy to read wen there are many replies in a thread.  For this reason, do not "top post", only add the reply at the ''bottom''.  Many mail programs have a setting to "reply at top" or "reply at bottom" -- always set it to "Reply at bottom" or manually perform this action yourself.  "Top posting" is considered rude by many readers.
*Change the '''Subject''' when the topic changes.
*Do not '''"bump"''' messages.  Bumping is purposely replying and quoting an old message purely for the intention of bringing attention to the message (usually with a single line of text, consisting of "Bump!").  If there is new information, then group members will reply.  If there are no replies, then wait at least two weeks before bringing up the topic again, or until there is something "new" to add to the original post.
 
Please see the following Internet reference for complete information:
* http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.html
 
== Where can I see an archive of previous DIYbio discussions and questions? ==
 
The [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio DIYbio google group mailing list] is hosted from Google Groups which allows reading prior discussions.
 
Some of our favorites ("member picks") include discussions on ..
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/596dab589267bedf/67bdbb445ad435d9?#67bdbb445ad435d9 Public perception]
* your favorite thread here
 
 
== Is there a group in my area? ==
There's probably a group nearby- maybe at least somebody somewhat interested in getting together for lunch or maybe sitting down over a bench and doing serious experiments- at any rate, you can find out about those near you by checking out the map below or [http://diybio.org/local/ diybio.org/local].
There's probably a group nearby- maybe at least somebody somewhat interested in getting together for lunch or maybe sitting down over a bench and doing serious experiments- at any rate, you can find out about those near you by checking out the map below or [http://diybio.org/local/ diybio.org/local].


Line 38: Line 265:
<iframe width="575" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=42.358163,0.0&amp;z=1&amp;spn=0,0&amp;msid=117373025318808082442.00045fd549f07830e0465&amp;output=embed&amp;s=AARTsJqk9drOPzgJzPIckjwHnoC0bQwDAA"></iframe><br />
<iframe width="575" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=42.358163,0.0&amp;z=1&amp;spn=0,0&amp;msid=117373025318808082442.00045fd549f07830e0465&amp;output=embed&amp;s=AARTsJqk9drOPzgJzPIckjwHnoC0bQwDAA"></iframe><br />


<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=42.358163,0.0&amp;z=2&amp;spn=0,0&amp;msid=117373025318808082442.00045fd549f07830e0465&amp;source=embed">View a larger map, or to add yourself or your group to the map.</a> You'll need to sign into your Google account in order to add a new point.  It's a little unclear, so here's a <a href="http://skitch.com/jasonmorrison/bycdy/add-a-point.png-png-image-864x494-pixels-scaled-70">screenshot of adding a new point</a>.
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=42.358163,0.0&amp;z=2&amp;spn=0,0&amp;msid=117373025318808082442.00045fd549f07830e0465&amp;source=embed">View a larger map, or to add yourself or your group to the map.</a> You'll need to sign into your Google account in order to add a new point.  Here's a <a href="http://skitch.com/jasonmorrison/bycdy/add-a-point.png-png-image-864x494-pixels-scaled-70">screenshot of how to add a new point on the map</a>.
</html>
</html>
You may also be interested in other local science groups around the world:
*[http://dorkbot.org/ dorkbot group] ("people doing strange things with electricity")
*[http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/List_of_Hacker_Spaces hackerspace].
*''please expand this list''


== Are there any videos from regional groups? ==
== Are there any videos from regional groups? ==
=== DIYbio MCR ===
Manchester, UK group.  Some photos of SwabFest plates and participants, courtesy of Hwa Young Jung.  "Find out more about what we do at diybio.madlab.org.uk #diybiomcr"
: http://www.flickr.com/photos/madlabuk/collections/72157626528280829/
=== DIYbio-NYC: Shot glass DNA extraction ===
=== DIYbio-NYC: Shot glass DNA extraction ===
<youtube align="left">s2HPVs25HlY</youtube> <html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>
<youtube align="left">s2HPVs25HlY</youtube> <html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>
Line 49: Line 285:
<youtube align="left">oQ3BRKAsG0I</youtube> <html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>
<youtube align="left">oQ3BRKAsG0I</youtube> <html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>


= Where can I see an archive of previous DIYbio discussions and questions? =
---
Right over [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio here].


Some of our favorites ("member picks") include discussions on ..
=== Bio-Artist Multimedia ===
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/596dab589267bedf/67bdbb445ad435d9?#67bdbb445ad435d9 Public perception]
* your favorite thread here


= What is synthetic biology? =
[[Synthetic biology]] is an attempt to apply the engineering techniques developed over the last century to enable construction and operation of complex systems to biology.  Succinctly, Synthetic Biology is the set of technologies that enables the biological engineer to accelerate the engineering cycle, taking less time to iterate through device design to modeling, construction, testing/measurement, and (re)design.


Professor Drew Endy explains that Synthetic Biology techniques are built on top of the foundational technologies of [[genetic engineering]] ([[PCR]], oligonucleotides, and [[DNA sequencing]]) and are include abstraction, standardization (i.e., [http://biobricks.org/ biobricks]), and automated [[DNA synthesis]]. Insulation and Standard Measurement Units (i.e. signal carriers) in biological systems are also significant interests in current synthetic biology research. See also [http://syntheticbiology.org/ syntheticbiology.org].
: '''BIO:FICTION Science, Art & Film festival 2010''', Museum of Natural History, Vienna, Austria
: Bio:Fiction is the world's first synthetic biology film festival. Our call for submissions in 2010 triggered 130 short film entries from 25 countries. 52 films were shortlisted and judged by an international jury composed of filmmakers and synthetic biology scientists. Several award categories will honour the best short films, covering science documentaries, science fiction films and plain fictional narratives.
:: http://bio-fiction.com/videos


== Drew Endy - Informal - Broad overview ==
== What does a Garage Lab look like? ==
<youtube align="left">XIuh7KDRzLk</youtube> <html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>


== What are biobricks? ==
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2478/4044058001_71291f7196_m.jpg
* http://biobricks.org/
* http://partsregistry.org/


== iGEM? ==
:'''Post pictures of your own home laboratory setup, and view some: http://www.flickr.com/groups/diylabs/ '''
iGEM, the international genetically engineered machine competition, is the premiere undergraduate synthetic biology conference in the world and the main driver of the production of standard biological parts.  iGEM teams have been testing and realizing the principles of synthetic biology on a massive scale for the last 5 years and are an existence proof for the viability of garage biotechnology.  Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. Check out [http://igem.org igem.org] or [http://wikipedia.org/en/wiki/iGEM wikipedia] for more info.
::-- From Raymond McCauley, DIYbio google group


== See also ==
* [http://syntheticbiology.org Syntheticbiology.org] Join this mailing list (it's worth it).
* [http://parts2.mit.edu/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Internationally Genetically Engineered Machines Competition] (see [[iGEM]])
* [http://biobricks.org/ The BioBricks Foundation] (see [[biobricks]])
* [http://parts.mit.edu/ Registry of Standard Biological Parts]
* [http://arep.med.harvard.edu/SBP/ List of synthetic biology projects]


= Videos =
== Has DIYbio been in the news? ==
See [[DIYbio/Videos]] for a collection of DIYbio, iGEM, and Synthetic Biology videos.
Yes.  Frequently!  '''See [[DIYbio/FAQ/News|In The News]] for a significant list of articles.'''


= Do you recommend any books, guides, periodicals, journals, feeds, blogs, wikis, instructables, .. ? =
= What are some educational resources for DIYBio and Biology? What are all these terms and technologies DIYBio keeps discussing? =


= Legal issues =
See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Educational DIYBio FAQ: Education & Resources]
Are gray.  Email safety@diybio.org to get involved in the discussion.
== BioBricks (legal stuff) ==
* [http://biobricks.org/pipermail/legal_biobricks.org/2008-September/000019.html Drew Endy: update on legal matters, including hiring a legal firm]
* [http://biobricks.org/pipermail/legal_biobricks.org/2008-September/000021.html Bootstrapping an open parts collection]
* [http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=BioBricksFoundation&view=videos&query=legal Videos of the BioBrick Foundation talking about legal concerns]


<youtube>l3q3T10GhxI</youtube>
== How can I grow and engineer yeast? How can I grow and engineer bacteria? ==
<youtube>0ufAYS6v_6c</youtube>
<youtube>w6dG4G-e-l0</youtube>


hm, videos are messed up here?
See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Projects DIYBio FAQ: Projects]


= What's all this about "open", anyway? =
= What equipment do I need to perform DIYBio-related projects? =
[http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing/tree/browse_frm/thread/fdb204fc92346e1b?hide_quotes=no#msg_eb6f86ff068e3764 What's all this about "open", anyway?] is a long "copy-and-paste" essay about [http://opensource.org/ open source] as it relates to do-it-yourself biology, biotechnology, science, patents, open source hardware, open wetware, and so on. It was meant to be an introduction to the topics of open source, free software, and how "open source" software communities typically exist. In particular it was written during one of the spikes in new mailing list subscriptions in late 2008.


* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/7678d1b42aa40c67 A note about the ambiguous use of "open source" as a buzzword]
See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Equipment  DIYBio FAQ: Equipment]
* other stuff here that time has forgotten (it would be nice to port the entire "what's all this about open, anyway" essay on to this wiki)


= What equipment is in a basic biology lab? =
.. and how can I make it?


Would you like to contribute to an answer for this question? Run around a lab that you have access to and document all of the equipment that you see, or remember, etc. It's ok if some of the equipment is ridiculous (like 100k+ RPM centrifuges), because we can filter that out later and reduce the lists down to equipment in a basic biology lab.


* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/b014b25110c9922c/e9a22564708172df?#e9a22564708172df Using ebay to set up a molecular bio lab for less than $1k USD] (see also [http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/09/howto-set-up-a-molec.html] and [http://scienceblogs.com/worldsfair/2009/04/using_ebay_to_set_up_a_molecul.php])
== What is open source hardware? ==


== MacGyverisms ==
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/048ce958697fe6ba Cheap technology for biology]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/a07ba5d01c61aa09 CO-2 rich environment in a ziplock baggie]
* gel electrophoresis in a straw (keiki gels)
** [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/03a955483651a05c one of the original 'idea posts']
** [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/c77e9e5290e57383/4ab47e86c1eecc56?#4ab47e86c1eecc56 Keiki gels: Gel electrophoreis in a straw] (it works!)
*** [http://www.boingboing.net/2009/02/06/crowdsourced-science.html boingboing'd]
** [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio:Notebook/Keiki_Gels very basic protocol]
* inkjet, laser printer, wax, ice-lithography, sharpie, or other forms of diy microfluidics
* [http://www.instructables.com/id/5_minute_DNA_Extraction_in_a_Shot_Glass/ 5 minute DNA extraction in a shot glass]


= Are there any plans for a DIYbio-friendly file format for protocols, instructions and hardware? =
Yes, absolutely. You should consider contacting [http://heybryan.org/ Bryan Bishop] about this. There is also a lot of reading material distributed throughout the web on this topic.
* [http://heybryan.org/om.html An index of threads related to open manufacturing] and standardized packaging of open source hardware projects
* [http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing/msg/1fc4fbbfd4a6fb23 Recipe representation]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/ada2289ebbc00fe0/6081750dd0eb5de1?lnk=gst&q=pcr.xml#6081750dd0eb5de1 Recipe representation as it concerns DIYbio]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/de9db7503c48c5c2 More on recipe representation] (especially re: an [[Open Thermocycler|open thermocycler project]])
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/ed52133e3c681100?dmode=source More on protocols and hardware packaging formats] (2009-04-15) (see also [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/4a7c4208682b9dfe?dmode=source Meredith's notes])
* other links here.
= What is open source hardware? =
http://p2pfoundation.net/Open_source_hardware
http://p2pfoundation.net/Open_source_hardware


Line 137: Line 328:
DIYbio has many big supporters of standardized packaging formats (like .tar.gz, .deb, .tar, .rpm, etc.) for automatic downloading of hardware components and instructions on how to build the components. There are some sites that almost implement this (but not quite) such as [http://instructables.com instructables], [http://ponoko.com ponoko], [http://thingiverse.com/ thingiverse], odesigns, [http://unptnt.com/ unptnt], etc.
DIYbio has many big supporters of standardized packaging formats (like .tar.gz, .deb, .tar, .rpm, etc.) for automatic downloading of hardware components and instructions on how to build the components. There are some sites that almost implement this (but not quite) such as [http://instructables.com instructables], [http://ponoko.com ponoko], [http://thingiverse.com/ thingiverse], odesigns, [http://unptnt.com/ unptnt], etc.


* other notes here
* [http://tmp2.wikia.com/wiki/Open_Source_Everything_Project Open Source Everything project], [http://adciv.org/ adciv.org]
 
* [http://factorefarm.org/ Open Source Ecology] (Factor E Farm, openfarmtech, etc.)
'''Slashdot discussions'''
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/9828dc1db4dee6e1 ToolBook (just some links to other articles about ToolBook)] (infrastructure)
'''Slashdot discussions''


* [http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/04/1338228 How do I put an invention into the public domain?]
* [http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/04/1338228 How do I put an invention into the public domain?]
Line 150: Line 343:
* [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&hs=078&num=100&q=site%3Aslashdot.org+open+source+hardware&btnG=Search other slashdot.org threads about OSH]
* [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&hs=078&num=100&q=site%3Aslashdot.org+open+source+hardware&btnG=Search other slashdot.org threads about OSH]


= Has DIYbio been in the news? =
=== Open Source Ecology ===
Yes.
 
* 2009-03-18: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/19/biohacking-genetics-research The Geneticist in the Garage]
* 2009-01-19: [http://www.wired.com/medtech/genetics/magazine/17-02/ff_diygenetics?currentPage=all DIY DNA: One Father's Attempt to Hack His Daughter's Genetic Code]
* 2009-01-07: [http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126881.400-genetic-manpulation-now-becoming-a-hobby.html?full=true&print=true Rise of the garage genome hackers]
* 2008-12-30: [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec08/diybio_12-30.html Students, Scientists Build Biological Machines (transcript)] (Lehrer on PBS) ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IIWH6Hhcnc video])
* 2008-12-25: [http://iht.nytimes.com/articles/ap/2008/12/25/america/Do-It-Yourself-DNA.php Amateurs are trying genetic engineering at home] ([http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/12/25/1833211 Slashdot])
* 2008-12-18: [http://www.publico.es/ciencias/184626/biohackers/reventar/reinventar/biologia/garajes Público: Biohackers: reventar y reinventar la biología desde los garajes]
* 2008-12-11: [http://seedmagazine.com/news/2008/12/the_biohacking_hobbyist.php The Biohacking Hobbyist]
* 2008-09-15: [http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/09/15/accessible_science/ Hackers aim to make biology household practice]
* many, many other occurences- keep sending them in
** also, there have been many news stories from the pre-DIYbio era which should be in this list
 
 
= Keiki gels (gels-in-a-straw) MiniFAQ =
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/03a955483651a05c one of the original 'idea posts']
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/c77e9e5290e57383/4ab47e86c1eecc56?#4ab47e86c1eecc56 Keiki gels: Gel electrophoreis in a straw] (it works!)
** [http://www.boingboing.net/2009/02/06/crowdsourced-science.html boingboing'd]
* [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio:Notebook/Keiki_Gels very basic protocol]
 
== Do all of the straws run at the same rate? ==
"I think the key there will be making sure that all the straws are exactly the same length -- each straw behaves like a resistor, so just like any other resistive material, a greater amount of material will mean a higher resistance (and thus lower current at constant voltage)." -- [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/09e4bcf12548501a Meredith]
 
== How do you strain for DNA in a straw? ==
"Easiest way to do that would be to use a stain that you add to the warm agarose before pouring, such as SYBR Safe or GR Safe (or ethidium bromide, but the cool kids don't use that anymore). I suppose you could slit the straw open with a razor blade if you wanted to use methylene blue, but that sounds like a huge pain in the ass." -- [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/09e4bcf12548501a Meredith]
 
= What equipment do I need to perform experiment XYZ? =
Just run it through the handy "checktools" program. ((Note: the idea here is that once the pcr.xml file makes a few friends with other protocols, software can then be written to extract a list of tools from the standardized protocol format. But this doesn't exist yet, since we only have "pcr.xml".))
 
= Genetic engineering =
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/0bc28b8116eb254c# Basic questions on genetic engineering]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/284f254d52930b4c Notes on gene vectors and miRNAs (gene silencing)]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/35e5dce66a713308 Gene naming, homologous sequence similarity]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/7088d103c90e59c5 Genetic engineering (in general)]
 
= DNA synthesis MiniFAQ =
* [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/f2d636339a6e9c4d DIY DNA synthesis and bibliography]
 
== Can I order DNA over the internet? ==
mrgene, e-oligos, geneoracle, etc.
 
== What are oligonucleotides? ==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligonucleotides Wikipedia sez]: "An oligonucleotide is a short nucleic acid polymer, typically with twenty or fewer bases. Although they can be formed by bond cleavage of longer segments, they are now more commonly synthesized by polymerizing individual nucleotide precursors. Automated synthesizers allow the synthesis of oligonucleotides up to 160 to 200 bases. The length of the oligonucleotide is usually denoted by "mer" (from Greek meros, "part"). For example, a fragment of 25 bases would be called a 25-mer. Because oligonucleotides readily bind to their respective complementary nucleotide, they are often used as probes for detecting DNA or RNA. Examples of procedures that use oligonucleotides include DNA microarrays, Southern blots, ASO analysis, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and the synthesis of artificial genes. Oligonucleotides composed of DNA (deoxyoligonucleotides) are often used in the polymerase chain reaction, a procedure that can greatly amplify almost any small piece of DNA. There, the oligonucleotide is referred to as a primer, allowing DNA polymerase to extend the oligonucleotide and replicate the complementary strand."
 
== How are oligonucleotides synthesized? ==
 
Oligonucleotide synthesis is done via a cycle of four chemical reactions that are repeated until all desired bases have been added:
 
*Step 1 - De-blocking (detritylation): The DMT is removed with an acid, such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichloroacetic_acid TCA] ([http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/SIAL/T4885 get it at Sigma-Aldrich]), and washed out, resulting in a free 5' hydroxyl group on the first base.
*Step 2 - Base condensation (coupling): A '''phosphoramidite nucleotide (or a mix)''' ([http://www.csun.edu/~hcbio027/biotechnology/lec3/pitt8.html struct], [http://www.bhk-lab.com/publications/2003/69.pdf synthesis of phosphoramidite building blocks] [pdf]) is activated by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrazole tetrazole] ([http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/FLUKA/88185 get]) which removes the iPr2N group on the phosphate group. After addition, the deprotected 5' OH of the first base and the phosphate of the second base react to join the two bases together in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphite phosphite] linkage. These reactions are not done in water but in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrofuran tetrahydrofuran] ([http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/ALDRICH/494461 get]) or in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_sulfoxide DMSO] ([http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/SIGMA/D2438 get]). Unbound base and by-products are washed out.
*Step 3 - Capping: About 1% of the 5' OH groups do not react with the new base and need to be blocked from further reaction to prevent the synthesis of oligonucleotides with an internal base deletion. This is done by adding a protective group in the form of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_anhydride acetic anhydride] ([http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/SIAL/539996 get]) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-methylimidazole 1-methylimidazole] ([http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/ALDRICH/336092 get])which react with the free 5' OH groups via [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylation acetylation]. Excess reagents are washed out.
*Step 4 - Oxidation: The phosphite linkage between the first and second base needs to be stabilized by making the phosphate group pentavalent. This is achieved by adding iodine (go to local store) and water which leads to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation oxidation] of the phosphite into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphate phosphate]. This step can be substituted with a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphorylation sulphorylation] step for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiophosphate_nucleotide thiophosphate nucleotides].
 
 
(Note: [http://biosupport.licor.com/docs/whatsnew/DNASynth800Phos.pdf this] might be a good document to see how phosphoramidites can be ordered from suppliers.) Here are some [http://www.protocol-online.org/prot/Molecular_Biology/Oligonucleotide/ oligo synth protocols in molecbio]. [http://www.protocol-online.org/cgi-bin/prot/view_cache.cgi?ID=2932 Quantifying oligos from phosphoramadite synth]. Note that you may not have to actually purchase phosphoramadites to start off with, but instead begin with a purified solution of nucleic acid??
 
== What are the origins of oligonucleotide impurities and errors? ==
See [http://heybryan.org/mediawiki/index.php/DNA_synthesis#Origin_of_oligonucleotide_impurities_and_errors here].


= Microfluidics MiniFAQ =
Open source hardware includes large systems.
See also: [http://heybryan.org/mediawiki/index.php/Microfluidcs Microfluidics]; [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/msg/1197606e3c3dc439 the original sharpie microfluidics post to diybio]; [http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/b3bb2d8b8a654fd4/1197606e3c3dc439?#1197606e3c3dc439 the rest of the thread].


  This is Chris Fornof with Open Source Ecology, http://opensourceecology.org
  We're attempting to create a Global Village Construction Set
  (GVCS, with the aim of creating a "civilization starter kit".
  See the TED talk, http://www.ted.com/talks/marcin_jakubowski.html


The following is a run of the example microfluidics T-junction simulation in elmer, an open source CFD/FEM/FEA package. What you see here is the progression of an analyte due to electro-osmotic flow. There are two electric fields, three boundary conditions and a lot of wasted hours playing around with ElmerGUI and ElmerFront.
= Projects =


<youtube align="left">sPY84NelFO4</youtube> <html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>
== What Projects has DIYBio completed?  What projects are DIYBio contributors working on now?  Who is working on what?  Who do I contact to offer to collaborate on a project? ==


See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Projects DIYBio FAQ: Projects]. 


== What are microfluidics? ==
::''Please add your own project info to the [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Projects DIYBio FAQ: Projects] topic!''
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microfluidics Wikipedia sez]: Microfluidics deals with the behavior, precise control and manipulation of fluids that are geometrically constrained to a small, typically sub-millimeter, scale. Typically, micro means one of the following features: small volumes(nl, pl, fl); small size; low energy consumption; effects of the micro domain (i.e., [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminar_flow laminar flows], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension surface tension], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion diffusion], Marangoli forces, capillary forces, ...).


== What is a lab on a chip (LOC)? ==
A '''lab-on-a-chip (LOC)''' is a device that integrates one or several laboratory functions on a single chip of only millimeters to a few square centimeters in size. LOCs deal with the handling of extremely small fluid volumes down to less than pico liters. Lab-on-a-chip devices are a subset of MEMS devices and often indicated by "'''Micro Total Analysis Systems'''" ('''µTAS''') as well. Microfluidics is a broader term that describes also mechanical flow control devices like pumps and valves or sensors like flowmeters and viscometers. However, strictly regarded "Lab-on-a-Chip" indicates '''generally the scaling of single or multiple lab processes down to chip-format''', whereas "µTAS" is dedicated to the integration of the total sequence of lab processes to perform chemical analysis. The term "Lab-on-a-Chip" was introduced later on when it turned out that µTAS technologies were more widely applicable than only for analysis purposes.


Ultimately the idea is to have all of the typical components, procedures and processes of a laboratory available on a "chip", on a single perhaps disposable device, rather than having to build or purchase bulky equipment that sometimes tends to be hard to acquire or learn about.
= Appendix 1 - list of Synthetic Biology Companies =
 
== Appendix 1 - list of Synthetic Biology Companies ==
*[http://www.amyrisbiotech.com/ Amyris Biotechnologies]
*[http://www.amyrisbiotech.com/ Amyris Biotechnologies]
*[http://www.atg-biosynthetics.com/ ATG:biosynthetics]
*[http://www.atg-biosynthetics.com/ ATG:biosynthetics]
*[http://www.blueheronbio.com/ Blue Heron Biotechnology, Inc.]
*[http://www.blueheronbio.com/ Blue Heron Biotechnology, Inc.]
*[http://www.codagenomics.com/ CODA Genomics]
*[http://www.dna20.com/ DNA2.0]
*[http://codondevices.com/ Codon Devices, Inc.]
*[http://www.dna20.com/ DNA 2.0]
*[http://www.febit-synbio.com/ febit synbio gmbh]
*[http://www.febit-synbio.com/ febit synbio gmbh]
*[http://www.geneart.com/ GENEART]
*[http://www.geneart.com/ GENEART]
Line 241: Line 373:
*[http://www.syntheticgenomics.com Synthetic Genomics, Inc.]
*[http://www.syntheticgenomics.com Synthetic Genomics, Inc.]
*[http://mrgene.com Mr.Gene GmbH]
*[http://mrgene.com Mr.Gene GmbH]
= Appendix 2 - List of Equipment Suppliers =
See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Equipment DIYBio FAQ: Equipment] for new/used/refurbished equipment suppliers.
= Appendix 3 - Laboratory Basics =
See [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Methods DIYBio FAQ: Methods] for basic lab technique, including sterilization, using animals, etc.
{{DIYbio:Top}}

Latest revision as of 21:20, 5 September 2012

Intro    In The News    Educational    Equipment    Projects    Kits    Methods    DIYbio.org    DIYbio googlegroup    FriendFeed - DIYbio    http://c.statcounter.com/5195189/0/1a5d59b0/1/0.png

DIYbio FAQ v1.5: "The biohacker's FAQ"

This FAQ for DIYbio is actively maintained by it's editors, and by you! Edit your contributions directly or email updates to the DIYbio email list, diybio@googlegroups.com.
Major contributors (in alphabetical order):
The contents of this FAQ are copyright under the OpenWetWare Copyright policy (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported). When quoting any content of this FAQ elsewhere, include a full hypertext link back to the main FAQ page.


This Frequently Asked Questions document is for the DIYBio mailing list. This FAQ is now split into multiple topics for easier reading.


FAQ Revision History

  • 1.0 - copied on 4/7/2009 from heybryan.org...DIYbio_FAQ
  • 1.1 - some updates to clarify original version
  • 1.2 - new sections, reorg, + sections about DIY agar DOI:10.1007/BF00152620 --jcline@ieee.org
  • 1.3 - expand projects sections. Add Laboratory Basics section. --jcline@ieee.org
  • 1.4 - add 'Methods' section, move Laboratory Basics into 'Methods' --jcline@ieee.org
  • 1.5 - Add 'News' section, move news articles there. jcline@ieee.org 23:40, 23 May 2011 (EDT)
  • 1.6 - Multiple updates to project section jcline@ieee.org 00:20, 6 September 2012 (EDT)

What is DIYbio, as an organization?

DIYbio is an organization that aims to help make biology a worthwhile pursuit for citizen scientists, amateur biologists, and DIY biological engineers who value openness and safety. This will require mechanisms for amateurs to increase their knowledge and skills, access to a community of experts, the development of a code of ethics, responsible oversight, and leadership on issues that are unique to doing biology outside of traditional professional settings.


DIYbio is a distributed community of amateur or professional biologists, industry professional or amateur engineers, biomedical engineers, life scientists, computer scientists, etc. Our activities range across a broad spectrum, from molecular naturalism (sequencing part of your own genome or bacterial populations) to biological engineering to building low-cost, open-source alternative lab equipment (Gel Box 2.0) to writing open source software for biology, to creating open source hardware systems and manufacturing.

<html> <div style="float:left;"><object width="560" height="315"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3454392&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3454392&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="560" height="315"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3454392">The DIYbio Community - Presented at Ignite Boston 5 (2009)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/macowell">mac cowell</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /></div> <object width="560" height="340" style="float:left;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-IIWH6Hhcnc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-IIWH6Hhcnc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> <div style="clear:both"> </div><br /> </html>


What is DIYbio's mission?

Intro    In The News    Educational    Equipment    Projects    Kits    Methods    DIYbio.org    DIYbio googlegroup    FriendFeed - DIYbio    http://c.statcounter.com/5195189/0/1a5d59b0/1/0.png

DIYbio FAQ v1.5: "The biohacker's FAQ"

This FAQ for DIYbio is actively maintained by it's editors, and by you! Edit your contributions directly or email updates to the DIYbio email list, diybio@googlegroups.com.
Major contributors (in alphabetical order):
The contents of this FAQ are copyright under the OpenWetWare Copyright policy (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported). When quoting any content of this FAQ elsewhere, include a full hypertext link back to the main FAQ page.


""*The* goal of DIYBIO, for me, is to reduce as much as possible the specialized equipment handicap for those who choose not to take the degree track / academic institution approach. I can become a professor of electrical engineering, or computer science, or evolutionary biology, without ever getting a degree or attending a course below the PhD level. I can't currently say the same thing about biotechnology with much confidence unless I'm lucky enough to have access to a lab. [...] DIYbio is a hardware hacking endeavor at its core, and it's the hardware hackers working hand-in-hand with the protocol authors who are laying the groundwork for making this a field open to anyone with the drive to become great at it. ""

-- Len Sassaman, DIYbio google group

Are we moving to a future where everyone performs a little genetic engineering? Is genetic engineering safe? Are GMO's safe? Is genetic engineering safe for hackers or everyone to perform? Aren't there too many risks or unknowns? Is it legal or illegal?

Today, everyone performs a "little" computer use, whereas decades ago leaders in the computer field claimed regular people would never need a computer. Decades before that, leaders in the transportation field claimed regular people would never need a car or would never need high speed travel. Eventually these technologies became usable enough for everyone, and somewhat indispensable. Looking many decades ahead, genetic engineering will likely be a common place activity, as with any technology.

Regarding whether genetic engineering is safe for hackers or for everyone, the group invites discussion. There are the key points:

  • There are many unknowns in genetic engineering ("We don't know").
  • There are many more unknowns than we currently know are unknown ("We don't know what we don't know").
  • There are methods to contain genetic engineering experiments to a clean laboratory with only small amounts of risk ("We can reduce the possibility of problems during experimentation").
  • There are unknown risks if genetic engineering experiments escape into the wild ("We don't know").

Readers are encouraged to check out "What we know--and what we don't know--about ecological risks of genetically engineered plants" as of 2001 knowledge map on risk from Robert Horn at Stanford. If you have a more recent and easy-to-read summary of Risk than the paper from 2000/2001, then add it here.

Readers are encouraged to watch the documentary, "The Future of Food" on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

  • Open-Source Biology And Its Impact on Industry, Rob Carlson, IEEE Spectrum, 2001.
""Technology based on intentional, open-source biology is on its way, whether we like it or not. Distributed biological manufacturing is the future of the global economy and will occur as inexpensive, quality DNA sequencing and synthesis equipment becomes available to anyone. In 2050, garage biology hacking will be well under way. Fear of potential hazards should be met with increased research and education, rather than closing the door on the profound positive impacts that distributed biological technology will have on human health, human impacts on the environment, and increasing standards of living around the world. "" http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0613.html?printable=1
""[..] more and more people outside the traditional biotechnology community will create self-replicating machines (life) for civil and defence applications, ‘‘bio-hackers’’ will engineer new life forms at their kitchen table; and illicit substances will be produced synthetically and much cheaper. Such a scenario is a messy and dangerous one, and we need to think about appropriate safety standards now. ""
""Suggestions have also been made for dealing with biosafety issues to do with the accidental (rather than purposeful) release of synthetic organisms. Tucker and Zilinskas (2006), for example, think that the precautionary principle should be adopted with respect to synthetic biology saying that it may be necessary to ban all uses in the open environment until a robust risk assessment can be conducted for each proposed application (p.44). Others think that this step would make research expensive and restrict synthetic biology to a few labs (Garfinkel et al. 2007). ""


What are the social, ethical, legal/patent implications of DIY Bio or home genetic engineering? How might it be best to create more social, ethical, legal/patent discussion?

These issues are discussed very well in the publications of SYNBIOSAFE, which includes discussion of DIYbio itself.

<html><center><iframe src='http://video.economist.com/linking/index.jsp?skin=oneclip&ehv=http://audiovideo.economist.com/&fr_story=706e536c2a60f103f23adcc3f0c0c76150dfbe6b&rf=ev&hl=true' width=402 height=336 scrolling='no' frameborder=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0></iframe></center></html>

  • Webcasts
    • Patenting Synthetic Biology: A Transatlantic Perspective. http://www.synbioproject.org/events/archive/6384/ ( Go to the link and click "View Webcast".) Investments in synthetic biology research have been ramping up and the field holds significant promise across areas ranging from medicine to renewable energy. As synthetic biology moves forward, it is critical for researchers, technology developers, investors, and public policy makers to understand how the European Patent Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will react and respond to the applications covering synthetic biology inventions. This is a unique opportunity to discuss factors influencing EU and U.S. policies on the evolution of intellectual property protection for synthetic biology with experts from both sides of the Atlantic. John LeGuyader, Director TC 1600, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Berthold Rutz, Examiner, Directorate 2.4.01, Biotechnology, European Patent Office
    • Bioethics: The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., July 8-9, 2010. http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/bioethics/100708/default.cfm . Drew Endy, Bonnie L. Bassler, Robert Carlson, J. Craig Venter, George Church, Kristala L. J. Prather, Allison Snow, Jim Thomas, Nancy M.P. King, Gregory Kaebnick, Allen Buchanan, David Rejeski, Markus Schmidt, Paul Root Wolpe, Amy Patterson, Michael Rodemeyer, Edward H. You.


Other Papers:

""A code of ethics and standards should emerge for biological engineering as it has done forother engineering disciplines. [...] Above all, outreach is required. Genetically modified products, including crops and gene-therapy drugs, have been opposed for reasons that go beyond worries about scientific uncertainties. Citizens who will gladly take recombinant-DNA drugs (such as interferon, insulinand erythropoietin) are reluctant to eat foods containing even trace amounts of recombinant DNA. Can synthetic biology gain greater public trust? We should learn from past cases; in the case of foods generated by synthetic biology, for example, we need to recognize that stakeholders include not just the farmers, but their neighbours and grocery shoppers also. [...] In addition to a code of professional ethics for synthetic biologists, we need to watch for the rare cases when they transgress. This requires not just laws, but also monitoring compliance. [..] Discussions about this have begun, including one funded by the Sloan Foundation ('Study to explore risks, benefits of synthetic genomics'). But any actions that penalize the legitimate manufacturer or user are likely to backfire, and having laws without government-mandated surveillance will be ineffective. Finally, the community needs to discuss the benefits of synthetic engineering to balance the necessary, but distracting, focus on risks. From now on, each small step towards engineering enzymatic pathways for cheaper pharmaceuticals, smart biomaterials and large-scale integrated genetic circuits should be celebrated. ""
  • ""Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser [2004] 1 S.C.R. 902, 2004 SCC 34 is a leading Supreme Court of Canada case on patent rights for biotechnology. The court heard the question of whether growing genetically modified plants constitutes "use" of the patented invention of genetically modified plant cells. It ruled that it does. The case drew worldwide attention."" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto_Canada_Inc._v._Schmeiser

Are there Historical Precedents or Prior Cases which have Demonstrated these Issues?

U.S.

DIY/homebrew chemistry is already adversely affected by the War on Drugs via government regulations intended to limit manufacture of methamphetamine. 

 There is a really interesting parallel between potential DIYbio
 regulations and attempts to quash meth production in America. Biotech-
 commentator Robert Carlson published an article in 2008 (
 http://www.springerlink.com/content/n211746672413507/ ) which confirms
 the point you mention--mom and pop (drug-manufacturing) outfits changed into cartels across
 the US border when the DOJ/DEA tried to crack down by controlling
 access to DIY-meth materials. On his blog,
 http://www.synthesis.cc/2009/08/and-the-innovation-continuesnow-for-shake-and-bake-meth.html 
 and in his new book, he predicts a similar phenomenon will befall
 biological engineering and DIY-biology if the government tries to
 restrict access to materials. Luckily for DIYbio enthusiasts, Carlson
 is also involved in some public policy and expert panels.
-- Marshall Louis Reaves, DIYbio google group


Arizona, 2009

Recent example where a homebrew chemistry project runs into danger due to an accident, perhaps causing larger scrutiny for others in the future. 

 A super interesting case study of this behavior(*) is homebrew bio-diesel in Arizona.   
 [ * - Referring to social issues and/or government regulation stemming
  from bad media portrayals or accidents in homebrew experimentation. -- JC ]
 Without going into too much detail, homebrewers use chemicals that can
 mostly be purchased at swimming pool supply stores (lots of those in
 the desert) including methanol and NaOH. Last summer, a homebrewer's
 oily rags ignited methanol in his garage. An explosion and house fire
 followed. A local news article about the blast:
 http://www.google.com/search?q=Fumes+from+biodiesel+kit+cause+house+explosion+in+Surprise&btnI=745
 You should note how demonized and terrifying making the bio-diesel
 seems. The paragraphs essentially alternate between indicating safety
 and overblown fears.
 ""We knew about (Spreadbury) doing the biodiesel but we didn't think
 he was a danger to us," said neighbor Shannon Daron.
 When asked if she now felt differently, Daron replied "absolutely."
 The fire never spread beyond the garage and Spreadbury and his family
 were not injured.
 A spokesperson for the Surprise Fire Department said Sunday they're
 concerned more people will turn to alternative fuels like biodiesel
 with the rising price of gas.
 Asst. Chief Kevin Pool worries, if not installed and maintained
 properly, they could see more fires started by people making biodiesel
 at home.
 "You might make one little mistake like this and there could be a
 tragedy," said Pool.  "It's at your own risk and your neighbor's
 risk."
 "We just bought this house," said Daron.  "We don't want it
 jeopardized or our children.""
 It seems like an almost nonsensical work of journalism. Homebrew
 doesn't seem to get a fair play in the slightest. This was a serious
 black-eye for homebrew.
 Some cities in the Phoenix valley (Phoenix is a collection of
 independent cities) lashed back. A  "Bio-diesel Task Force" was
 formed, and some jurisdictions deemed homebrewing bio-diesel as
 "industrial activity" and therefore illegal in residential zones. A
 very easy "fix" for overzealous authorities. I'm not sure if searches
 or arrests/fines occurred. This could be a similar weapon used against
 DIYbio'ers, since many materials including simple enzymes could be
 "industrial" in nature. On the brighter side, some cities have adopted
 a pro-homebrewer stance by taking into account safety and zoning
 codes: http://tinyurl.com/ProBDcode  Throughout the state, chemicals
 are incredibly difficult to acquire, even in small amounts. The Meth-
 trade in Arizona doesn't help either.
 Although opinions differ--there are some very smart and well-
 positioned advocates of homebrew bio-diesel in Arizona--with one vital
 key to all of this is a separation of "safe" from "unsafe" practices.
 This is something that DIYbio'ers often seem to work towards. But the
 codification of best practices and vigorous dissemination of them
 seems to be working in homebrewers favor when talking with regulators:
 http://216.104.40.250/~biodcom1/greenbeat/soybenz/b101man/
 When people ask questions of safety, can DIYbio'ers point to a "Bible"
 of sorts to ask if it is a sin? This is especially important to
 separate the *good* parts of DIYbio from a more dangerous fringe if
 such a group exists now or in the future: We are good, they are the
 bad because they violate rules X, Y, and Z. Otherwise, the whole group
 gets labeled as bad, dangerous, or whatever, and this obviously leads
 to being outlawed.
 I know lots of people speculate about lots of futures of regulation
 and public perception, but I think that lessons can be learned form
 homebrew bio-diesel. A great resource is a the Desert Biofuels Blog at
 http://desertbiofuels.blogspot.com
-- Marshall Louis Reaves, DIYbio google group

Who is a "biohacker"?

How can I find out more and contribute?

Many ways! Here's a brief overview:

So far, we mainly communicate through the mailing list. There is also a lower volume DIYbio announce mailing list, which occassionally has announcements that the community might be interested in. Also, there are groups for:

You're welcome to subscribe to the mailing lists- in fact, we encourage it.

There are other forums:

Guidelines for Posting

As the DIYBio mailing list membership grows, it is more important to follow good guidelines for easier readability within discussions. This is called Netiquette.

Please:

  • Follow proper quoting rules:
 One should reply using the standard technique:

    User C. wrote:
    > User B. wrote:
    > > User A. wrote:
    > > > blablabla
    > > blubberblubber
    > laberlaber 

    Your Thoughtful Reply Goes Here.

For complete information on quoting, see conventional netiquette.

  • When quoting another author, keep the attribution line ("On such-and-such-date, Jonathan Cline wrote:").
    • Delete portions of the paragraph which do not pertain to the new reply. This is known as Trimming the post.
    • Trim all quoted text to be the minimum necessary to follow the discussion.
      • Replace deleted text with "[...]" if it changes the placement of words or sentences in a paragraph.
  • Add your message below any quoted text. This means "write your reply at the bottom".
    • Do not "top post". "Top posting" is when the reply is added above the quoted text. This is not as easy to read wen there are many replies in a thread. For this reason, do not "top post", only add the reply at the bottom. Many mail programs have a setting to "reply at top" or "reply at bottom" -- always set it to "Reply at bottom" or manually perform this action yourself. "Top posting" is considered rude by many readers.
  • Change the Subject when the topic changes.
  • Do not "bump" messages. Bumping is purposely replying and quoting an old message purely for the intention of bringing attention to the message (usually with a single line of text, consisting of "Bump!"). If there is new information, then group members will reply. If there are no replies, then wait at least two weeks before bringing up the topic again, or until there is something "new" to add to the original post.

Please see the following Internet reference for complete information:

Where can I see an archive of previous DIYbio discussions and questions?

The DIYbio google group mailing list is hosted from Google Groups which allows reading prior discussions.

Some of our favorites ("member picks") include discussions on ..


Is there a group in my area?

There's probably a group nearby- maybe at least somebody somewhat interested in getting together for lunch or maybe sitting down over a bench and doing serious experiments- at any rate, you can find out about those near you by checking out the map below or diybio.org/local.

<html> <iframe width="575" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=42.358163,0.0&amp;z=1&amp;spn=0,0&amp;msid=117373025318808082442.00045fd549f07830e0465&amp;output=embed&amp;s=AARTsJqk9drOPzgJzPIckjwHnoC0bQwDAA"></iframe><br />

<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;msa=0&amp;ll=42.358163,0.0&amp;z=2&amp;spn=0,0&amp;msid=117373025318808082442.00045fd549f07830e0465&amp;source=embed">View a larger map, or to add yourself or your group to the map.</a> You'll need to sign into your Google account in order to add a new point. Here's a <a href="http://skitch.com/jasonmorrison/bycdy/add-a-point.png-png-image-864x494-pixels-scaled-70">screenshot of how to add a new point on the map</a>. </html>

You may also be interested in other local science groups around the world:

Are there any videos from regional groups?

DIYbio MCR

Manchester, UK group. Some photos of SwabFest plates and participants, courtesy of Hwa Young Jung. "Find out more about what we do at diybio.madlab.org.uk #diybiomcr"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madlabuk/collections/72157626528280829/

DIYbio-NYC: Shot glass DNA extraction

<html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>

DIYbio-SF: Tito's food coloring electrophoresis

<html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>

DIYbio-boston: diybio visits the fablab

<html><div style="clear:both;"></div></html>

---

Bio-Artist Multimedia

BIO:FICTION Science, Art & Film festival 2010, Museum of Natural History, Vienna, Austria
Bio:Fiction is the world's first synthetic biology film festival. Our call for submissions in 2010 triggered 130 short film entries from 25 countries. 52 films were shortlisted and judged by an international jury composed of filmmakers and synthetic biology scientists. Several award categories will honour the best short films, covering science documentaries, science fiction films and plain fictional narratives.
http://bio-fiction.com/videos

What does a Garage Lab look like?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2478/4044058001_71291f7196_m.jpg

Post pictures of your own home laboratory setup, and view some: http://www.flickr.com/groups/diylabs/
-- From Raymond McCauley, DIYbio google group


Has DIYbio been in the news?

Yes. Frequently! See In The News for a significant list of articles.

What are some educational resources for DIYBio and Biology? What are all these terms and technologies DIYBio keeps discussing?

See DIYBio FAQ: Education & Resources

How can I grow and engineer yeast? How can I grow and engineer bacteria?

See DIYBio FAQ: Projects

What equipment do I need to perform DIYBio-related projects?

See DIYBio FAQ: Equipment


What is open source hardware?

http://p2pfoundation.net/Open_source_hardware

"Open Source Hardware is hardware that keeps its designs available in a way similar to the open source in software." There is no defacto license for open source hardware yet. Some websites (like ponoko, thingiverse, unptnt) put hardware CAD files under a "Creative Commons" license. However, it's still unknown how this is likely to interface with the legal systems around the world (i.e., patents). And it's not necessarily true that putting something directly into the public domain is the best way to go either. So, the future is presently unclear- in terms of legal issues.

DIYbio has many big supporters of standardized packaging formats (like .tar.gz, .deb, .tar, .rpm, etc.) for automatic downloading of hardware components and instructions on how to build the components. There are some sites that almost implement this (but not quite) such as instructables, ponoko, thingiverse, odesigns, unptnt, etc.

'Slashdot discussions

Open Source Ecology

Open source hardware includes large systems. 

 This is Chris Fornof with Open Source Ecology, http://opensourceecology.org 
 We're attempting to create a Global Village Construction Set 
 (GVCS, with the aim of creating a "civilization starter kit". 
 See the TED talk, http://www.ted.com/talks/marcin_jakubowski.html

Projects

What Projects has DIYBio completed? What projects are DIYBio contributors working on now? Who is working on what? Who do I contact to offer to collaborate on a project?

See DIYBio FAQ: Projects.

Please add your own project info to the DIYBio FAQ: Projects topic!


Appendix 1 - list of Synthetic Biology Companies

Appendix 2 - List of Equipment Suppliers

See DIYBio FAQ: Equipment for new/used/refurbished equipment suppliers.

Appendix 3 - Laboratory Basics

See DIYBio FAQ: Methods for basic lab technique, including sterilization, using animals, etc.


Intro    In The News    Educational    Equipment    Projects    Kits    Methods    DIYbio.org    DIYbio googlegroup    FriendFeed - DIYbio    http://c.statcounter.com/5195189/0/1a5d59b0/1/0.png

DIYbio FAQ v1.5: "The biohacker's FAQ"

This FAQ for DIYbio is actively maintained by it's editors, and by you! Edit your contributions directly or email updates to the DIYbio email list, diybio@googlegroups.com.
Major contributors (in alphabetical order):
The contents of this FAQ are copyright under the OpenWetWare Copyright policy (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported). When quoting any content of this FAQ elsewhere, include a full hypertext link back to the main FAQ page.
Retrieved from "https://openwetware.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=DIYbio/FAQ&oldid=623964"