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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