Science and the "Do It Yourself" genetic-hacking-in-your-own-basement movement

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Beatrice Rienhoff is very sick. A flaw hidden deep within her genes has baffled the best doctors in the world. So her father is combing through her DNA, one nucleotide at a time to find a cure.

Discover Magazine has a fascinating article about something I have never heard about before-- with technological advances in both computers and medical technology, many individuals (some who are NOT scientists or professional researchers btw) are doing important primary research on genetic illnesses, and making important contributions to science.



Some instances, the extreme rareness of the illness (e.g. Beatrice Rienhoff's) makes it impossible for "mainstream" science to spend any resources on research. I can't find the Discover magazine article, but Wired did a story about it as well. Taking advantage of social networking, many of these private researchers pass long leads and suggestions to each other. Cambridge Massachusetts seems to the center of the DIY movement, with even its own lab for do-it-yourself-ers.

Meredith L. Patterson of San Francisco, who is a computer programmer by day, has set up a make-shift bio lab in her dining room. She’s trying to create a genetically modified yogurt bacteria that will glow green to signal melamine contamination. She constructed a gel electrophoresis chamber for $25 and purchased some green fluorescent jellyfish protein from a bio supply company for less than $100. Step-by-step instructions for genetic transformation experiments were only a Google search away. With the relative simplicity and low-cost of basic DNA experiments, it may not be long before kids start asking for electrophoresis kits instead of microscopes.

Anthony of the Open PCR movement, dedicated to promoting at home PCR testing.

One of the movement's pioneers is Robert Sabin, who after watching an employee die a horrible death from stomach cancer, decided to become a DYIer. "You don't need a Ph.D. to be a scientist, you need passion. When a scientist gets an idea in his head, he won't stop until it's tested. Scientists are possessed by their ideas and what they want to do. I am like that." Sabin's obession was phytic acid in the whole grain of wheat, which was typically removed during processing. Sabin believed nature wasted nothing and assumed the removal of phytic acid could cause mischief. Fast forward several years, and Sabin published a studying showing giving phytic acid to lab animals reduced tumor growth significantly. His work also showed phytic acid could reduce key markers for heart disease. That study was published in Journal of Applied Nutrition. Sabin has recently published a major study on phytic acid in January's issue of Journal of of Alzheimer's Disease; the study was done in conjunction with the University of Oregon, the Veterans Hospital, and the National Institutes of Health. Despite his success, Sabin is very cautious: "I see myself as a medical pioneer, but I recommend that anyone who wants to do this think long and hard about it. You'll be mostly working alone."



DYI founder Mackenzie Cowell, left.

What are the implications to society at large? That depends on who you ask. Mackenzie Cowell (co-founder of DYIBio) predicts that some biohackers are likely to make breakthroughs in everything from vaccines to super-efficient fuels. Others will simply fool around, he says: for example, using squid genes to make tattoos glow in the dark. All of which he believes will ultimately benefit humanity. “We should try to make science more sexy and more fun and more like a game,” he says.

But several bio-corporations and at least one biotechnological watchdog group is very leery. Jim Thomas says that synthetic organisms could ultimately escape and cause outbreaks of incurable diseases or unpredictable environmental damage. “Once you move to people working in their garage or other informal locations, there's no safety processes in place,” he says, adding that terrorists could be inspired by amateur genetic tinkering to launch a devastating bio-attack on America.” But the DIY community scoffs, saying “A terrorist doesn't need to go to the DIYbio community,” she says. “They can just enroll in their local college.”


iGEM jamboree at M.I.T.

The iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition Jamboree at M.I.T.), the audience awaits the awarding of the grand-prize trophy, a huge aluminum Lego that is kept by the winning team for one year, like the Stanley Cup. A New York Time's article on the DYI genetic revolution with technological implications (e.g. a car powered by electric eels? Say what ;)

Extra post musical goodness: Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing the The Boy in the Bubble. "These are the days of miracle and wonder; this is a long distance call, the way the camera follows us in slow motion, the way we look to a distant constellation that's dying in a corner of the sky. These are the days of miracle and wonder, and don't cry, baby. Don't cry."

While I share some concerns, I think overall this movement is so exciting, with the benefits outweighing the risks.

Comments

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

I'm not really convinced by the alarmist reactions about super-bio-terror weapons being engineered in basements or something. If it were so plausible, governments wouldn't need to spend a lot of resources trying to weaponize biological agents. It's like arguing that we can't let kids have chemistry sets, because one of them might invent a super-bomb, in spite of the billions of dollars of research going on in the desert trying to invent a super-bomb. And besides, the quote given is right: Terrorists would just recruit someone with a PhD. Happens all the time. Yet somehow we haven't been destroyed by flying rats carrying the bubonic plague.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

While costs of the technology have dropped, DYI genetic research is still a pricey "hobby" (for lack of a better word). Robert Sabin comes from a wealthy family and essentially funded most of his own work over the last 25 years; being able to spend 100,000 on lab rats helps tremendously.

But funny you mentioned the flying rat with the bubonic plague. Some critics of this basement research have used the recreation of the 1918 influenza virus with publishing the entire genome as an example of a potentially bad outcome. (http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2005/10/should-we-be-publishing-influenza-genomes/) I think that's way over the top, but you know, I can see a company trying to tighten up regulations to prevent DIY work by using these scare tactics.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Well of course we should be publishing genomes. That's like asking if we should gather intel on the enemy or not.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

Other than mad scientist scenario posited by the biotech corporations, I think we'll see those same corporations either trying to shut down this kind of research since it cuts into their bottom line, or steal it outright.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Eh, there probably isn't so much overlap between applied research and pure research. What will happen is like with the computers. Young bright operators will get snapped up by corporations with nice salaries and benefit packages.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

If the government asks nicely enough, the corporations will even draft the legislation for free.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw several posts about that on some of the DIY communities, with someone in the bio-tech industry (I *think*) proposing a tightening up of regulations. It was raising a big stink.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Yep. Find the penis size gene marker, and make millions!

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I don't see them doing it for the corporations. I see them doing it in a way that will, undoubtedly, mean they're the only ones capable, though.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Isn't there an obvious problem with using biowarfare in that disease knows no respect of skin color or cultural boundaries? I seem to remember this having something to do with why it's never been used in the 20th Century except by Imperial Japan in WWII.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

We already did all this with nuclear weapons. Either people won't spend a lot of time pursuing things with little to no military purpose, or everyone will engineer super mutations and we'll be back at MAD.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

I went to the Umbrella Corporation and all I got was this lousy T-virus.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

haha ;)

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Another way public science can work:
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/18/7802623-gamers-solve-molecular-puzzle-that-baffled-scientists?GT1=43001

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

I love jamborees and I love Lego. What do I have to do to subscribe for the next party?

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

This sounds fun. Therefore, I support it fully.