Open Source Biotechnology



Open source biotechnology is in some ways more challenging than open source software, content or hardware. The unanswered question is: is there a place for an ecosystem based around free "software" running on biological processors ? Biological hacking has the potential to transform health care, address energy problems, mitigate climate change, and more. Or it could wreak environmental devastation and facilitate horrifying attacks by either individuals or governments.

IGEM
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts and new parts of their own design to build biological systems and operate them in living cells. This project design and competition format is an exceptionally motivating and effective teaching method. iGEM began in January of 2003 with a month-long course at MIT during their Independent Activities Period (IAP). The students designed biological systems to make cells blink. This design course grew to a summer competition with 5 teams in 2004, 13 teams in 2005 - the first year that the competition grew internationally - 32 teams in 2006, 54 teams in 2007, 84 teams in 2008, and 112 teams in 2009. Projects ranged from a rainbow of pigmented bacteria, to banana and wintergreen smelling bacteria, an arsenic biosensor, Bactoblood, and buoyant bacteria.

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Related pages on OSE Wiki

 * Microfluidics,

Linkfest

 * DIYBio - An Institution for the Amateur Biologist
 * IGEM - International Genetically Engineered Machine competition - the premiere undergraduate Synthetic Biology competition
 * Open WetWare Wiki - an effort to promote the sharing of information, know-how, and wisdom among researchers and groups who are working in biology & biological engineering
 * BioBricks Foundation - encourages the development and responsible use of technologies based on BioBrick™ standard DNA parts that encode basic biological functions
 * The BIOFAB: International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology
 * Biological Open Source (BiOS) - an effort to develop new innovation ecosystems for disadvantaged communities and neglected priorities
 * Genotyp - open source biotech lab hardware, mainly intended for teaching institutions such as high schools
 * OpenPCR - An open source PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine based on Arduino
 * Open Gel Box - An electrophoresis gel box, an instrument used in the separation and characterization of DNA.
 * DremelFuge - DremelFuge is a printable rotor for centrifuging standard microcentrifuge tubes and miniprep columns
 * Polonator G.007 - Automated, second-generation genome sequencing machine that is based on polony sequencing technology.