BioTech Lab

Why is BioTech important for FamiLAB?

We appear to be in a unique point in history where we can leverage our existing strengths to learn new skills to make a meaningful contribution to science and quality of life, -in our spare time.

• Biotech is a rapidly growing multi-billion dollar industry with many parallels to the state the computer industry in during the late 70's
• There are many areas where quality of life could be improved through a better understanding of biology, but there is not sufficient potential ROI to warrant development by large corporations/institutions.
  • Research funding typically goes to
  • Historically, real innovation has comes from amateurs and hobbyists. The ability to read, write, and edit DNA is just now becoming something that is accessible at the "homebrew computer club" scale.
• As the use of biotechnology becomes more and more a part of our lives, it is imperative that we become literate in how it works, and hands on learning in a safe environment is an ideal way to develop a deeper understanding of what is involved, and what is at stake.

Projects we are working on:

• DNA Barcoding workshops in which participants bring in plant, insect, or fungi samples from which DNA is extracted, amplified, and sent off for sequencing. Results are compared with existing data to either ID the specimen, or, possibly, add a new discovery to the database.
• Participating in the iGEM| (International Genetically Engineered Machines) Labs program by designing and implementing new "biobrick parts" that perform useful functions, and submitting them to a growing open source repository.
  • Refining a violacein production pathway in yeast to more easily produce an expensive, medically useful, and exceedingly cool looking purple pigment.
  • Creating a biobrick that implements an easy to use protein excretion tag which would facilitate measurement and large scale bioproduction of useful compounds
• Participating in HTGAA, accepting applications now!
  • Building a relatively affordable atomic force microscope in order to verify DNA origami constructs
  • Synthetic miminal cell production of small circular peptides that may have interesting antibiotic properties
• OpenBCI (Brain Computer Interface)
• Collaborating with BioCurious on a 3D BioPrinter project
  • Plant Tissue Culture
• Growing things that glow (or at least fluoresce)
  • Glowing Plant Project Beta
  • Dinoflagellates (plankton)
  • Bioluminescent bacteria
  • Green Fluorescent Protein producing baker's yeast
  • Glowing fungi
• OpenTrons fluid handling robot (currently offsite due to space limitations)

Equipment wish list:

• -80ºC freezer
• nanodrop
• consumables (pipette tips, plates, etc.)

Current ToDo List:

• Get new biosafety cabinet set up and inspected
• Finish repairs on shaking incubator
• Set up temperature monitoring, and isolated lighting for glowing dinoflagellates
• Order reagents needed for iGEM "hello world"
• Develop better structure for DNA barcoding workshop
• Resolve issues with temperature limits in firmware for 3D bioprinter

Notes about Safety

We are a BSL1 lab, and only work with well characterized, non-pathogenic, non-mammalian organisms. (ToDo: add info regarding our ISRB, working with FBI, EPA, etc. )

Protocols and Equipment

Link to our BioTech Protocols page

Link to our BioTech Equipment page

Reading list/resources:

diybio.org (mailing list is very active, signal to noise varies dramatically from month to month)

Spaces we are collaborating with:

plantbio.org

genspace.org

biocurious.org