DIYbio:Meetings/16-Dec-2008 Hi-Five 2

Great chat everyone! Just to recap (more below), we everyone gave a super fast overview of a project they are working on, and we talked about Conferences, where a diygem team could work, and biosafety issues.

It as a great call, even if skype and tokbox flaked out on us a little bit.

Please add links to the projects listed below next to your names if possible and review and add to the Action Items section. Thanks!

Also, you can find a log of the chat session here

Attendees: (and project)

• Jason Bobe - bioweathermaps
• Jonathan Cline - melaninometer
• Mac Cowell - diygem 2009 team
• Tito Jankowski - public perception
• Jason Kelly - ginkgo
• Jason Morrison - Smartlab Table
• David Nunez - Smartlab Table
• Len Sassaman - GloGurt
• Norman Wang - GelBox 2.0

Time/Date/Location:

16 dec 2008 ~7:00 pm EST: Skype + TokBox (worked ok - skype crashed once, not everyone had a cam)

Agenda

• introductions + 30 seconds about your DIYbio project
• review and revise agenda
• Possible Discussion Topics:
  • opportunities for presenting diy work (as discussed at last meeting)
  • SynBERC Student Leadership Council (SLC) sponsored video project
  • locations for a boston diy iGEM team to work - see action items
  • safety, hardware, press, funding, website, igem project brainstorming, and more!

BioSafety & BioSecurity

this summary is from last meeting - please add your thoughts as discussed "Won't diybio enable tomorrows bioterrorists?"

• ultralights vs. flightschool (dedicated terrorists won't be amateurs)
• better to live in world w/ lots of experts (99.999999999% who are well intentioned)
• wrong focus: bioerror way bigger threat than bioterror
• we believe in certification programs; they impose constraints, but increase the ability of people to do the activity because it is explicity allowed

model rocketry

• ham radio
• recreational diving
• ultralight flying
• Food for thought: what activites are allowed without a license? Exploratory bio, sure, but what about transforming dna purchased from the already-regulated synthesis companies?

That's about it. I'd like to schedule a group chat specifically about diygem teams this thursday evening est - does that work for everyone interested (alec, jasonm, meredith, etc.)?

-Mac

Action Items

• Mac: get project description q/a from each person via email
• Mac: start list that keeps track of calls for "biohacking papers, presentations, posters, etc"
• Jason M: draft email to Biogen Idec about DIYbio field trip
• eveyone: use doodle to schedule next meeting