Rob Carlson on synthetic biology: THE ECONOMIST

Rob Carlson states: innovators are necessary to create solutions to pressing problems – and these innovators often work with or come from interest groups such as DIYbio.

The Economist: “You can do a lot in your garage – A professor of biosynthesis on DIYbio / open-source biology, buying DNA online and the problem with patents”

Rob Carlson on synthetic biology

Many of us in the DIY realm rely on the open publications of the Public Library of Science at plos.org.

You may feel surprised to know that PLoS has web icons which you can display on your own web page!  Check it out, make your science blog or web notebooks “PLoS inside” to raise awareness of their efforts.  Here’s how:

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Great work by 2 DNA explorers — it seems high school students are kicking ass all over the place, first in sushi, now this! Check out this big DNA species identification project, about 200 samples from around the neighborhood and lots of cool findings. Even one that suggests they found a new species of cockroach!

From their website: “We identified 95 different animal species.”

You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you that all of the species displayed above were found in local supermarkets and homes in New York City. A feather from a duster yielded Ostrich DNA. A delicacy labeled “sturgeon caviar” instead turned out to be from the strange-looking Paddlefish. A popular Asian snack was revealed as Giant flying squid. Bison DNA was found in a dog biscuit.

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We found DNA evidence all around us. We found DNA “name tags” in all kinds of human and pet foods including raw, cooked, dried, and processed items. We obtained DNA from dried soup mix, scrambled eggs, dog food, chicken McNuggets, hamburger, beef jerky, bologna, yogurt, cheese and even butter. By analyzing DNA, we traced tiny, unrecognizable bits of once-living things to their source.

We could identify animals from what they left behind in the environment. We found tell-tale DNA in dried-out horse manure in Central Park, a pigeon feather on the sidewalk and a shed snakeskin.

Good work!
Website: http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/dnahouse.html

PDF of samples and results: http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/DNAHouse%20specimens,%20results.pdf