What if you could rearrange DNA like Lego, cutting and pasting useful bits and pieces or writing entirely new sequences? What if through this manipulation you could write biological “programs,” organisms that act according to predetermined sequences? Or . . . what if there was a registry on the Internet that would allow you to order biological components — or at least provide instructions on how to obtain them?
It sounds like the ramblings of that overly enthusiastic guy in the front row of your first year biology class, but all of these scenarios are already possible. Spearheading this movement of DIY synthetic biology is a foundation called BioBricks, who, according to their website, are “ a not-for-profit organization founded by engineers and scientists from MIT, Harvard and University of Californai, San Francisco.”
What exactly is a BioBrick? According to their website: “Each distinct BioBrick standard biological part is a nucleic acid-encoded molecular biological function (e.g. turn on/off gene expression), along with the associated information defining and describing the part.” Essentially, a BioBrick is a biological component that allows a biological researcher to program a living organism much like an engineer programs a computer.
BioBricks are an open-standard endeavor, much like the open source movement in computer software. Anyone is free to modify and create BioBricks, as long as they conform to the standards set by the BioBrick foundation.
MIT has created a registry of currently available components, of which there are over 600. The Registry of Standard Biological Parts allows anyone with access to a biology lab to create and reconfigure genetic code. As a result of this database, an international genetic modification competition has been established.
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM) is a contest for undergraduates, where students are given a kit composed of standard biological parts from the registry and work over the summer to create a biological system and operate it within a living cell.
BioBricks’ founder, Drew Endy, felt that the field of genetic engineering was not methodical enough and shared little with other forms of engineering. In an interview with the New York Times, Endy said, “You should be able to give a cell simple commands and have it reliably execute them.” Endy felt that cell parts should be like components in a hardware store. So, in 2003, Endy and a few fellow engineers decided to develop a standardized system of biological components.
The enterprising professors decided to not develop a system and accompanying theory, then teach it to their students. Instead, they got the students to help develop the system. They “taught a month long course challenging teams of students to design E. coli that ‘blinked’ — that is, generated fluorescent light at regular intervals.” The course was so popular that it turned into an international movement that now involves students from all over the globe.
Of course, not everyone has access to a biology lab, and evolving hand-in-hand with the BioBricks project is a strong DIY biology movement. Students from underfunded schools, hobbyists, ambitious professors and so-called “bio-hackers” are developing low-cost solutions for biology equipment.
Anyone interested in starting a biology lab should read Heidi Ledford’s “Lifehacker” article. It describes possible solutions to equipping a garage lab. EBay.com is mentioned as a prime source for used equipment, where the home-biologist can find anything from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines to centrifuges. People with more money can use LabX, which provides proven equipment. Pharmaceutical companies that are closing down are great sources of pipettes and beakers, while anyone who needs a 37 C incubator can simply keep a culture in their armpit . . . no, really.
Although some of these solutions may seem outlandish or even outright dangerous, they are providing a basis for backyard-bioengineering . Giving these ambitious experimenters access to lab-grade equipment and providing access to open source genetic code could yield unthinkable advances in bioengineering. Coupled with the organized, scientist-led movement, bio-hacking could provide new and innovative solutions to many existing and emerging problems, everything from food to medicine.
