Nuts and Volts - September/October 2018

If you’re a regular reader of Nuts & Volts, then you might have the impression that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and maker activities are limited to areas such as robotics, electronics,

3D printing, laser cutting, and microcontrollers. However, the oldest maker activity on the planet — DIY Biotech, including genetic engineering and cell-based manufacturing — is poised to change everything.

DIY Biotech is a rapidly evolving field that contains components of genetic engineering and microbiology, among others. In recent years, DIY Biotech has appeared in middle and high school STEM programs as, for example, transformed bacteria that glow in the dark or fluoresce under UV light that produce a perfume-like scent.

For example, the photo included here shows colonies of E-Coli bacteria on an agar-filled petri dish.

Using simple desktop microbiology techniques, one of my students, Nhi Dinh, inserted gene coding for the glow-in-the-dark proteins from a jellyfish into the E-Coli.

Of course, glowing bacteria fall short of the major transformations produced by the large pharma and agricultural laboratories. You’ve probably heard of the transgenic tomatoes made by inserting pig DNA into tomato DNA. If you live in the USA, it’s difficult to avoid eating or drinking GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) products.

It’s tempting to treat DIY Biotech as the new kid on the block. In reality, however, while robotics and microcontrollers have been around for decades, DIY Biotech has been around for thousands of years.

Fermented foods and grains — think beer, wine, mead, yogurt, and cheese — were developed long before the wheel.

So, why all the renewed interest in DIY Biotech? In a word, accessibility. Just as the PC revolutionized computing, recent developments have made it possible for anyone with a scientific bent to practice DIY Biotech in their kitchen or garage.

One such development is CRISPR (a gene splicing technique) that can be performed by the average middle school student. If you can transfer the contents of one test tube to another and use a sterile technique, you can perform CRISPR experiments.

In addition to new easily performed and affordable gene manipulation techniques, the cost of outfitting a DIY lab has dropped precipitously over the past five years.

For example, PCR machines — which are essentially DNA photocopier devices — typically sell new for

$10,000 or more. Today, you can find fully functional PCR machines on eBay for $200. Similarly, used incubators (low temperature ovens) and gel electrophoresis machines can be had for pennies on the dollar.

Thanks to a few companies in support of the DIY Biotech effort, the biological raw materials — from agar to coat the petri dishes, antibiotics to select for genetically modified bacteria, and sterile tools, to nonvirulent EColi bacteria — are readily available and affordable. For example, I’ve had great success with The Odin ( the-odin.com), Amino Labs (amino. bio), and Carolina Biological Supply Company ( www.carolina.com). The Odin caters to the BioHacker crowd, while Amino Labs and Carolina Biological Supply Company are more traditional STEM suppliers for middle and high school students.

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