Cathal Garvey demonstrating Do-it-Yourself DNA extraction in a tent

Wow, Cool stuff!



Cathal Garvey demonstrating Do-it-Yourself DNA extraction in a tent from smarimc on Vimeo.

Biopunks, biohackers, and the movement to own your own DNA

On DNA Day, 23 and Me had a sale on their personal genomics service. They'd do their standard scan of your genome for free, as long as you paid for a year's worth of their online subscription service.

Read more here : http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/2011/05/biopunks_biohackers_and_the_mo.php

UC Berkeley Starts Synthetic Biology Institute

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The University of California, Berkeley, has launched a new institute focused on synthetic biology and bioengineering, and it has signed up Agilent Technologies as its first industry partner, the university said yesterday.


Read more : http://www.genomeweb.com/uc-berkeley-starts-synthetic-biology-institute

Genomikon kit - BioBytes 2.0

I would really want to get my hands on the Genomikon kit to build my own plasmids. It is an educational self-contained kit. Read more here :http://2010.igem.org/Team:Alberta/biobyte2

"Synthetic Life?" The New Industrial Revolution? (Bioethics Seminar)

From Youtube : Will biological engineering usher in a new industrial revolution? Gregory Kaebnick, a research scholar at The Hastings Center, leads a bioethics seminar on synthetic biology. What is it? Where might it lead? What ethical questions does it raise?

Synthetic biology will bring us a slimy, moist future

The first post i put up on this blog was a quote from Freeman Dyson in 'Many colored glass' and descibed for me where we are heading with biology.  This wired UK article is an excellent article quoting the same source :


.....But those might be the aesthetics we'll have to get used to if Freeman Dyson was right when he wrote this a couple of years ago: "I predict that the domestication of biotechnology will dominate our lives during the next 50 years at least as much as the domestication of computers has dominated our lives during the previous 50 years."....


Read more : http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2009/09/start/synthetic-biology-will-bring-us-a-slimy-moist-future

Synthetic Biology Open Language

I guess these kinds of develeopments are the equivalent of a programming language and standardisation with respect to biological parts :

Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) is a community effort involving University of Washington, BIOFAB, and VirginiaTech (Jean Peccoud). The purpose of the project is to develop computational representations for synthetic biology parts so that they can be efficiently exchanged between research labs. SBOL presently consist of semantics for describing parts and visual styles for visually displaying parts.

The insides of Openpcr

A nice photo of the isides of the openpcr machine. When i find some time i Will construct one myself.

Space Travel and Synthetic Biology

The article gives a hint of applications to come as a result of Synthetic Biology. In this case with respect to space travel. However, I suspect that here on earth we could very well benefit from most of these developments as well :

• microbial community could add cells to produce certain vitamins and proteins needed for long-term space missions.
• eliminate future infections, tooth decay

Read more on arsbiologica : http://www.arsbiologica.org/2010/11/synthetic-biology-and-space-travel.html

The map of the genome of the first synthetic cell

On edge.org the map of the genome of the first synthetic organism : http://www.edge.org/documents/Edge-Serpentine-MapsGallery/high-res/venter.png

George M. Church in Rotterdam received the 4th Steven Hoogendijk Award

Last Thursday (23rd September) I attended an impressive lecture by George Church at the Erasmusiaans Gymnasium near the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam. His talk was among other things about the PGP-10 (personal genome) project. See video here :




The following Friday George M. Church was officially awarded the 4th International Steven Hoogendijk award instated by the Bataafsch genootschap. See a partial google translate of their announcement here :

"On Friday September 24, 2010 George M. Church will receive in the Citizens of the City Hall of Rotterdam from the Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb ing by the Batavian Society of Experimental Philosophy in Rotterdam granted International Steven Hoogendijk Award. This prize is awarded this year in the medical-technical field "minimal invasive diagnosis and consists of a silver medal and a sum of 15,000 euros. "

Computational genomics - where to start my diybio journey?

As an electrical engineer, with an ever growing interest and curiousity into DIY biology, synthetic biology and genomics, i wondered where to jumpstart this journey. So i figured it would be a good thing to start there where i understand the tools and language best. After searching for a while i stumbled upon the field of computational genomics. In particular i found the site http://www.computational-genomics.net/ which is part of course taught at the university of Bristol.

Currently, I  am working my way through the book (Introduction to Computational Genomics: A Case Studies Approach) and exercises. Already some familiar statistical techniques, i have been working with in other fields, passed by. In addition, it is very pleasing to see that so many of the basic software to analyse a genetic sequence are open source tools.

So hopefully my journey into the field of computational genomics is a little step forward and I am wondering where to go next. Any suggestions?

Bètabrede docentendag Synthetische Biologie, een synthese van verschillende bèta-vakken

De 'synthetische biologie' staat sinds kort in de belangstelling sinds het gelukt is een cel te verkrijgen met een volledig synthetisch genoom. Welke chemische processen spelen hierbij een rol, wat is het belang van het maken van een dergelijke cel. Kan dit een rol spelen in productietechnologie?

Lees verder : http://www.rug.nl/fwn/informatieVoor/VWOdocenten/BetabredeDocentendag

Crappy Google translate :

Teacher's day : Synthetic Biology, a synthesis of several beta-courses

The "synthetic biology" is in the spotlight recently since it has been possible to obtain a cell with a completely synthetic genome.Chemical processes which play a role, what is the importance of making such a cell. Could this play a role in production technology?

Synthetic biology research on biofuels has a mathematical angle

Qing Lin and colleagues are using a common mathematical concept to develop 'nano-reactors' designed to generate much higher yields of biofuels. Read more here : http://www.physorg.com/news203267252.html

Danish bio hack space : BiologiGaragen

BiologiGaragen is a laboratory and open creative space where anybody with an interest in biological science can meet, play, and share their ideas and thoughts.  We will encourage citizen science in biology and make knowledge, tools and software available for people to develop solutions based on their personal, local and specific needs.


Read more here : http://biologigaragen.org/

Neither models nor miracles: a look at synthetic biology

The 20th century broke open both the atom and the human genome. Physics deftly imposed mathematical order on the upwelling of particles. Now, in the 21^st century, systems biology aims to fit equations to living matter, creating mathematical models that promise new insight into disease and cures. But, after a decade of effort and growth in computing power, models of cells and organs remain crude. Researchers are retreating from complexity towards simpler systems. And, perversely, ever-expanding data are making models more complicated instead of accurate. To an extent, systems biology, rather than climbing upwards to sparkling mathematical vistas, is stuck in a mire of its own deepening details.

Read more : Neither models nor miracles: a look at synthetic biology

Biotech Revolution must start with Education

Popular media coverage of biotechnology is saturated with talk of “revolution” — the time when genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and personalized medicine will change our lives in more ways than we can imagine.  These technologies, we are assured, are right around the corner.  But having heard such promises for well over a decade, I find myself asking:  http://www.hplusmagazine.com/editors-blog/biotech-revolution-must-start-education

IGEM Team Helps Prevent Rogue Use Of Synthetic Biology

A team of students from ENSIMAG, an engineering school in Grenoble, France, and Virginia Tech is using bioinformatics to implement federal guidance on synthetic genomics. The students' work will help gene synthesis companies and their customers better detect the possible use of manufactured DNA as harmful agents for bioterrorism.

Read more here : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195304.php

Opmars van synthetische biologie

Synthetische biologie is een nieuwe technologie met als hoofdthema de ontwerpbenadering van biologische systemen. Vanwege het grote aantal mogelijkheden wordt er verwacht dat synthetische biologie veel uiteenlopende toepassingen zal krijgen. Japan profileert zich met R&D op verschillende onderwerpen. Veel aandacht is er voor onderzoek naar het van de grond af opbouwen van celachtige systemen (protocel). Ook strategiebepalende organisaties in Japan zijn overtuigd van het feit dat synthetische biologie een belangrijk R&D-thema wordt.


Lees meer hier : http://www.twanetwerk.nl/default.ashx?DocumentID=14241

Do-It-Yourself Bioengineers Bedeviled by Society's Paranoia

Gather up a few thousand people and you will find, without fail, that several of them have some very impressive hobbies.

Read more here : http://www.genengnews.com/gen-articles/do-it-yourself-bioengineers-bedeviled-by-society-s-paranoia/3383/