Posts from the ‘Weekly News’ Category
Hi team. It’s nice to see you again. I don’t have much of an intro for you, because it’s time to talk about…
Sexual harassment in biohacking
There’s a discussion in the Google Group right now about a specific case of harassment at Biologigaragen. It was brought to us in great detail by the woman involved, and has sparked some interesting questions about how a non-hierarchical group mediates conflict, as well as a wider discussion about the issue. I think it’s a worthwhile conversation, and as a member of the community, I think you should read it, and maybe even participate.
Hackerspaces can be scary places for women. They can also be great places. Here’s a conversation with a bunch of women in a bunch of hackerspaces talking about their experiences – generally good, but with some frustrating instances of sexism. Hacking tends to be associated with the truly poisonous tech scene, but it doesn’t have to fall prey to that kind of misogyny. It’s really up to you, dear reader. What kind of world do you want to hack in?
Open Biomedical Initiative
On a much more pleasant note, here’s a group making open source biomedical tools. First project is a cheap prosthetic limb using 3D printing. They’re looking for collaborators, so if you’re into that step right this way.
Living forever
Since it might take a while to fix our broken world, let’s all live forever. I don’t really get the impulse, myself, because I have seen vampire movies and know how that works out. This discussion started two years ago, which is nothing to somebody who’s going to live to 400, and got revived again this week for some talk of collaboration between a couple of aspiring Methuselahs. Do with that as you wish.
DIYBio continues to spread
Discussion (UK midlands)
Discussion (Newcastle, UK)
Discussion (Catalonia)
There’s a couple of fledgeling biohackers seeking help on the list this week. If you’re in the area or have advice, shoot them an email!
Bioglow plant
Bioglow Tech is getting better at making plants glow. DIYBiologists have some questions about how it actually works (and if it’s any good), plus an explanation of how the Glowing Plant Project sidestepped Bioglow’s patent.
Craig Venter Institute talks regulations
The JCVI has a new report out on synbio regulations in the US. They specifically call out DIYBio and discuss how commercial ventures coming out of a community lab would be regulated. The verdict on government oversight for synthetic biology: pretty good, although they need some updating to keep up with modern tech, and if things really blow up soon it might be tough for the EPA to keep track of everybody.
3D-printed micropipettes
Here are two. Try them out and report back!
Got something to say? Email me, tweet me, or find me in my hammock, prepping for summer.
Our microbiota, ourselves
Most of us know by now that we’ve got ten times more microbial cells in our body than human cells. Those bugs, collectively known as a microbiome, play a major role in our biological processes, and not just digestion. Scientists are looking to the composition of the microbiome for answers about illness ranging from obesity to schizophrenia.
Naturally, DIYBiologists want to characterize the creepy crawlies in and on them. What’s the best way to do it? There are some homebrewed options in the discussion, but your best bet might be to go through the bacterial equivalent of 23andMe: startup uBiome will sequence the bugs in your nose, mouth, skin, genitals, and feces for $89 (sample FAQ: “Will my gut sample smell? Will the mail carrier get mad at me for stinking up the place?”). American Gut is a non-profit citizen science project doing the same thing, i.e. collecting thousands of bacterial samples from various orifices and comparing them. American Gut will run you $99, but you can also send in samples from pets.
Pocket IR spectrometer exists
Massively over-funded Kickstarter + TechCrunch Disrupt demo + fancy iOS apps = a recipe for blog articles calling your toy/tool/pocket-sized object a “game changer.” So, here is a tiny IR spec, which shines an infrared light on an object and, based on how the light is absorbed, can give you pretty good sense of the molecular makeup of the sample. Early adopters will no doubt dedicate themselves towards scanning everything within arms’ reach and carefully inputting information to go along with the scan, building a database for the IR signatures of foods, pets, medicines, gadgets, and loved ones.
9,500 people think it’s worth $2 million in funding, probably thanks to both the artfully shot Kickstarter video and how much it reminds them of that thing from Star Trek. Their promo material says it can tell you if an avocado is ripe without having to touch it, the nutritional facts on cheese so you don’t have to read the label, and at one point in the video it identifies an apple as “fruit.”
No, ok, I’m being a spoilsport, and it is pretty cool living in the future. Can this thing be useful for DIYBio? Well, maybe. Our intrepid Google Group writers are mostly as curmudgeonly as me, but one brave man suggests it might be good for telling if your media is stale, if your yogurt culture is still good, or which poorly labeled Petri dish is which. If you get one, feel free to write and tell me why I’m wrong!
Ryan Bethencourt is blogging about biohackers again
Counter Culture Labs co-founder, Berkeley Biolabs CEO, and professional Brazilian model Ryan Bethencourt wrote an article championing “the rise of biohackers,” which you should go read if only to scrub your mind of my cranky cynicism. On the email list, he has a pretty interesting run-down of successful DIYBio projects, including Berkeley Biolabs, a biohacker accelerator he started with some other BioCurious alums.
BlogRoll blog roll blo groll
We’re putting together a list of active DIYBio-related blogs, so if you want to add yours/argue about what constitutes active/check out some excellent DIYBio projects and writing, head right this way and give a shout.
As usual, email me, tweet me, or send a rock-climbing cat to find me with the news you want to see here next week.
It’s time for another round-up of what y’all have been chatting about on the email list. Bit of a slow news week, so help me spice it up next week by shooting me an email or a tweet, and I’ll put it up here next week.
DIYBio internship in Minneapolis
Spark-Y, a non-profit dedicated to educating kids about sustainability, is now taking applications for their annual (unpaid) summer internship. Those from ages 16-24 are welcome to apply. If you choose to focus on the DIYBio project, you’ll be helping build their new community wetlab.
Interns can also work on aquaponics and vermicomposting, also known as “composting with a whole bunch of worms.” College credit available, etc. Apply here by June 7.
Destiny Ziebol, who’s developing the wetlab, has solicited help from the DIYBio community, so shoot her any suggestions at destiny@spark-y.org.
The Wet Lab is currently focusing on “developing a greener future through the benefits of plants and algae,” but members expect to expand their projects soon. They’ve made their home at the San Diego Fab Lab, and they’ve got fifty people on their Meetup after five months, which seems like a pretty good start to me. They meet Wednesdays at 6:30, and optional membership dues are a bargain at $5 a month. They’re setting up their own wetlab soon. It’s organized by Cameron Clarke, a Biocurious alumn, and they’re building bioreactors for algae production, so check it out if you’re in the neighborhood.
The return of the $21 gel box
In 2011, Joseph Elsbernd wrote a blog post called “Cheapass science – How to build a $21 gel box.” People were really into it, although the Google Group discussion got a little sidetracked arguing if you could put agar into the dishwasher without destroying your plumbing. Anyway, somebody dug this up yesterday and asked for more details on the Google Group, making this a good a time as any to remind you how to make a gel box for less than the cost of popcorn and a movie.
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