Sunday, October 28, 2012
biohacking
If
my roommate decided to become a biohacker, I would probably think it was pretty
cool. I'm a microbiology major, so the idea of messing with DNA and whatnot is
very interesting to me. I think that there are a lot of positive things that
could come out of people creating experiments and researching different genes
and molecules in their own homes. However, I would want to make sure my
roommate knew how to maintain a level of sterility and safety while going about
biohacking. Also, I would want to make sure that the molecule isn't something
dangerous. I think that a lot of concerns could be mollified if biological
"kits" were made available to anyone who wanted one (similar to iGem,
but not limited to college students). This would let people tinker without the risk of dealing with a dangerous molecule. If I decided to join my roommate in
biohacking, I would probably set aside a separate room for that and make sure
that aseptic techniques are being used. Other than that, not many changes would have to take place. Overall, I would be fine with having a
biohacker in the house!
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I agree that it is interesting and I like how you would make sure everything is safe and make sure that its not in your living space.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of creating a kit that the average person could safely tinker with. I think the only problem is that almost every chemical substance needed for a home lab can potentially be dangerous especially in the hands of someone not educated in its use. That's why we have warning labels on everything we buy. People will always find a way to hurt themselves with seemingly safe objects. I think it would almost be better to set up a community lab where you could pay a membership fee to come and safely work on your project with supervision. You wouldn't have the convenience of splicing DNA from the couch but you also wouldn't ruin your carpet with a failed experiment.
ReplyDeleteI am also a fan of your idea to make a so called "kit". I am sure many people would probably buy that. You could even make a business out of your kits and fund your biohacking through the business. I never even thought about safety in my blog. I guess I am more of a person who wants to hit the ground running, but safety would probably be a big part. I'm interested in what you would do if other people came over? Would you just hide the lab? Do you think they would be weireded out? That was one of my big problems.
ReplyDeleteIf safety could be ensured, which it can't, then i think it would be a more acceptable idea. I do agree with you that if this had to happen a separate room is a must. Common areas like the living room would be highly inconvenient.
ReplyDeleteI think a community lab would be easier than having one in your home for sure. As far as having the kits, maybe there could be a test you would have to pass before you can buy one. I think by having a separate room for biohacking, where you could close the door if people come over, would contribute to safer experimentation. Everything would be contained to one area that way.
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