The idea of doing biological experiments with current biotechnological methods and conducting research projects at home is very new. There are already many names in use referring to the same concept: bioDIY, home biology, biotech DIY, garage biology.

All you people need is a short course in biotech basics, a few thousands of dollars, some tinkering capability, and enough spare time and space. The beautiful retro idea of tinkering with digital devices in a garage, conveyed by the Make magazine, can be extended to biotech too, and some projects were already published in Make backyard biology issue like the Home Molecular Genetics including DNA isolation. Recently Hugh Rienhoff amplified his daughter's DNA at home to help doctors figure out her genetic disorder.

From the Nature cover article: "So he bought a used PCR machine, a microcentrifuge, some small-volume pipettes and a brand new gel box. All told, the equipment cost him about $2,000. With these simple tools and some sequence-specific DNA primers of his own design, he could pick the relevant genes out of his daughter’s genome and amplify them enough for sequencing. Freezing the samples and packing the tiny tubes on ice, Rienhoff sent them off for sequencing at about $3.50 a pop. He prepared upwards of 200." Another proposed project is "How to isolate amniotic stem cells from the placenta, at home!" Today, stem cell therapy is just a promising possibility, but in the not so distant future, self-aware citizens may manage their own stem cells, grow them in the garage, and store them in the fridge. If so, it could be a form of autonomous medical self-insurance. The basics of in vitro cell culture, i.e. the method how to isolate and maintain cells through passages, is a simple kitchen recipe, like the algorithms of making a steak. If interested, people can do home biotech and have the right and power to work with the basic macromolecules (DNA, RNA, protein) of life and with cells too.

So what are the conditions of a mass biotech DIY movement?

• Really useful projects at home not just for entertainment;

• Kits available cheaply Based on the Rienhoff example, a very basic home lab can be set up out of 2-3000 dollars, the price of a good laptop;
• Used network equipment-- biotech startups and academic labs with a small budget are already buying equipments and lab tools through informal networks;
• Good education tools are on the web, just like 23andMe webpage in genetics and some webinars, but the detailed step-by-step and carefully checked algorithms are still missing;
• Short intensive academic or industrial lab courses available for every citizen.

What are the disadvantages? John Golob asks:

Why hasn’t there been a Homebrew Molecular Biology Club? The technology behind molecular biology has arrived—equivalent to where computer components were in the mid-1970’s. Well designed commercial kits are available for just about any task.

I’ve considered posting directions on Slog, using these kits, for a variety of projects one could do at home or in a garage: make glow-in-the-dark sourdough bread, detect rodent DNA in food, check your DNA to see if you’re related to Ghengis Khan.

I’ve held off because molecular biology is inherently dangerous, much more so than building a computer or programming an Apple IIe. The same tools used to label, cut or modify experimental DNA would be glad to chew up yours—many are potent cancer-causing agents. Your glow-in-the-dark yeast could easily spread to your neighbor’s kitchen. Do you really want to know if there is rat shit in your dinner?

What are the implications of a mass biotech DIY movement?

• Successful research projects at home, the rise of a massive home biotech movement, just like the hacker movement;

• Outsourcing some research or routine tasks to private home labs;
• Growing practical scientific knowledge in the public;
• Demystifying scientific research

Personal genomics: His daughter's DNA Nature 449, 773-776 (2007) | doi:10.1038/449773a http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071017/full/449773a.html
Blogosphere: Pimm: What is bioDIY? http://pimm.wordpress.com/2007/01/24/what-is-biodiy/
Pimm: How to isolate amniotic stem cells from the placenta, at home! http://pimm.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/how-to-isolate-amniotic-stem-cells-from-the-placenta-at-home/
Pimm: The busy life of a stem cell (biotech) startup founder http://pimm.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/the-busy-life-of-a-stem-cell-biotech-startup-founder/
From Istanbul To Sand Hill Road: The Ultimate Empowerment of The Consumer http://baris.typepad.com/venture_capitalist/2007/01/the_ultimate_em.html
Jonathan Golob: Homebrew Molecular Biology Club http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/11/homebrew_molecular_biology_club