DIY Genetic Engineering

1. Edward
   December 25th, 2008 at 5:16 pm

   Good for them.

   30 years ago my mother created genetically altered tropical fish to change their coloration. It was hobby stuff done by a college professor with a love of fish and supply of mutagenic materials. None of the exaggerated horror stories occurred.

2. Noz
   December 25th, 2008 at 6:20 pm

   The real fun stuff is going to start happening when we start getting a library of DNA codes that we can start using as programming language. For example, going online and grabbing the pre-written stuff to metabolize sucrose, and throwing that into your genetic program to add that functionality to your creature.

3. George
   December 25th, 2008 at 7:43 pm

   Just a couple of innocent OOPs could be the end of mankind as we know it. Good OOPS - Yeah; Bad OOPS - Boo

4. Aea
   December 25th, 2008 at 8:49 pm

   I invite all of the doomsday scenario mongers to do some independent research, genetic engineering has been criticized at every stage that it would lead to the destruction of humanity, decades later we're still here.

5. Ali S.
   December 25th, 2008 at 10:25 pm

   @ George

   I think that is why the US Government and several others will actively look upon raiding such "amateur" labs because they fear how and what they will end up producing.

6. Jason Morrison
   December 25th, 2008 at 10:49 pm

   @Edward,

   Glad to hear it! Is there somewhere we can read more about her work?

   @Noz,

   You might be interested in looking into the emerging field of synthetic biology. Take a look at http://partsregistry.org and http://biobricks.org for a library and standard of reusable, composable DNA parts.

   @George,

   That's certainly true. I think it's paramount to focus on making education and safety information freely and openly available to amateurs.

   -Jason

7. liphttam1
   December 25th, 2008 at 11:44 pm

   That sounds prety dangerous to me..

8. ted
   December 26th, 2008 at 12:40 am

   Doesn't sound like much of a hobby.

9. Vlad
   December 26th, 2008 at 2:22 am

   I wonder what happens if you accidentally create a bacteria that the immune system doesn't know to suppress.

10. Briannana
    December 26th, 2008 at 11:06 am

    The problems begin in two arenas.

    1. Crap-bat Crazy people
    2. Crap-bat Dumb people

    I worry more about number 2. Dumb people... well... do dumb things. I once read about a guy who was cultivating edible mushrooms (reishi, maitake, and oyster) and got some mold infestations. He became so enamored with this issue that he began cultivating and sustaining various molds in his rental home where he was living, as to better understand them.

    Yikes.

    Now, if a guy like this starts genetically engineering things, problems occur. Big problems. Problems that kill people. There is a reason that people go to school and get degrees for this stuff. It's not just to educate them on how to do it. It's so that and institution can analyze behaviors in a controlled setting and weed out the number 1's and the number 2's.

11. Gerry
    December 26th, 2008 at 11:14 am

    Scary. Scary. Scary.

    Go find a copy of Frank Herbert (yes, the 'Dune' author) book "The White Plague" from 1982.

    A bit dated since its about a scientist who decides to get back at the IRA for killing his family in a bombing, but in the forward he says he was scared at just how EASY it would be to kill off a major portion of the human race in a kitchen with a few tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment that anyone could gather.

12. CelticCatEyes
    December 26th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

    @ Jason Morrison,

    Safety and education is available at any college or university! Truthfully, all these people could easily do what they desire if they found the right lab and adviser, who would also help get them the proper equipment and funding. Even at the Master's level, you can ask to do independent work.

    My other thoughts:

    Why do I support research in Universities controlled by departments and those who provide funding? This means that MOST researchers have to document and share their research. Universities want people who will publish for the scientific community, attracting fame and money.
    Also, there is a rigorous, independent ethics board at every university that is there to protect us from people doing dangerous and hazardous experiments. Their sole purpose is to protect the rights of humans and animals that may be affected by what an independent researcher does in their lab. (YES, it might sound odd to say, but there is a high level of independence even in academic labs).

    Think tanks and corporate labs are the places of which I am afraid.

13. just a guy
    December 26th, 2008 at 12:53 pm

    Perhaps humanity will be saved, when the mutantant DIY genetic diseases will get into a fight with the grey goo nanomachine clouds over control of the Hadron collider, and will all destroy each other.

    We can only hope....

    

14. sigh
    December 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am

    Zombies! Not just made inside the mega umbrella corporations anymore!

15. mjaybee
    December 27th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

    I made flesh-eating bacteria that adhere to cotton towels, car seats and paper tissues and napkins....

    Mother Nature

16. Jason Morrison
    December 28th, 2008 at 12:41 am

    @CelticCatEyes

    This information is definitely available at the university level, as well as at some forward-thinking and sufficiently well-equipped high schools with biotech programs. I agree that a culture that encourages open publication of results and an oversight board that helps to guide researchers with ethical and safety issues are two things that help such university programs flourish and be useful.

    However, people will still do biology in home labs, and I'd love to see them offered the same kinds of resources.

    I'd encourage anyone interested in the discussion of certifications to join in at:
    http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_thread/thread/b7cc9972929 be6fe

    Cheers,
    Jason

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