Build a mutant in your garage

[BabylonHoruv]

http://diybio.org/

Pretty exciting stuff, these guys are putting biology in the hands of people the way that computers were back in the 70's.  I don't know where it is all heading, but I am pretty sure it is going to make a lot of differences in everyone's lives within 20 years or so.

[The Wizard Joseph]

  One day EVERYBODY will make super bacteria and re-engineer their pets from the comfort of home.  Sounds like strange days indeed!

[Kai]

http://diybio.org/

Pretty exciting stuff, these guys are putting biology in the hands of people the way that computers were back in the 70's.  I don't know where it is all heading, but I am pretty sure it is going to make a lot of differences in everyone's lives within 20 years or so.

Yeah, biohacking, been hearing about this for a while now. It could do the same for molecular/cellular biology as amateurs did for astronomy.

[Elder Iptuous]

i remember hearing a good bit about this last year.
my initial reaction is that it is a bit scary having the superempowerment of the individual in the arena of bioengineering...
biolabs modifying microbes, i would think, have a good number of safety checks to keep things from going horribly wrong, but if it's in jim-bob's garage? well....

i don't know enough about it to make an informed decision, but it would be nice to hear a good argument why this shouldn't be a worrying trend.

[Luna]

I need a garage.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Frankly, at this point I have no reason to think it's anything but kind of a cute hobby for bored rich people who want to think they're fancy.

Superempowerment? Ha.

[Sita]

Why does BioShock pop to mind every time I see this thread?

[Cainad (dec.)]

Frankly, at this point I have no reason to think it's anything but kind of a cute hobby for bored rich people who want to think they're fancy.

Superempowerment? Ha.

Well, they might create a magical E. Coli strain that gives them glitter diarrhea.


Imagine! Rich people everywhere pooping glitter! It'll be great.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Frankly, at this point I have no reason to think it's anything but kind of a cute hobby for bored rich people who want to think they're fancy.

Superempowerment? Ha.

Well, they might create a magical E. Coli strain that gives them glitter diarrhea.


Imagine! Rich people everywhere pooping glitter! It'll be great.

I'd love to see that happen.

[Triple Zero]

So, what do they actually do there, then?

Genetic engineering? Sequencing? Making bacteria X excrete protein Y?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

So, what do they actually do there, then?

Genetic engineering? Sequencing? Making bacteria X excrete protein Y?

From reading the blog it sounds like mostly they make yogurt and beer.

[Doktor Howl]

So, what do they actually do there, then?

Genetic engineering? Sequencing? Making bacteria X excrete protein Y?

From reading the blog it sounds like mostly they make yogurt and beer.

This pisses me off.

Here I was, hoping that the Bill Gates of infectious diseases was somewhere out there, laughing maniacally in his garage.

[BabylonHoruv]

Frankly, at this point I have no reason to think it's anything but kind of a cute hobby for bored rich people who want to think they're fancy.

Superempowerment? Ha.

At the moment it is.  However they don't have to be that rich, it's a cute hobby for upper middle class people and rather quickly getting cheaper.

I really do think that biohacking at a scary level will be possible within a decade or so.

[Kai]

i remember hearing a good bit about this last year.
my initial reaction is that it is a bit scary having the superempowerment of the individual in the arena of bioengineering...
biolabs modifying microbes, i would think, have a good number of safety checks to keep things from going horribly wrong, but if it's in jim-bob's garage? well....

i don't know enough about it to make an informed decision, but it would be nice to hear a good argument why this shouldn't be a worrying trend.

First of all, it hasn't gotten to the point, now, that people can do these things without first learning all the stuff that goes into it. In other words, there is a great deal of skill and knowledge that must be gained first before any person can jump into it. The investment not only weeds out people who aren't serious, it also means that by the time that people can modify organisms as they please, they have the wisdom of time to do so. So, I don't think the worrying thing are these independent workers (at the moment), the worrying thing are these large scale corporations where people can essentially jump in without learning these things, they are handed the technology and the workforce to handle it. It's very much like, these very humble scientists inventing fission and fusion devices and politicians, who did not have to spend the time and energy and gain wisdom associated with making these discoveries, are yet able to use them as they please.

[Elder Iptuous]

very good point, Kai.