How to Set Up Your Own DIY Bio Lab
Starting your own home biohacking lab is both easier and cheaper than you might think. Here’s what you need to get started.
make56
Make: Vol 56 is all about biohacking. Ever since the Sumerians learned to hack yeast to make beer, we’ve enjoyed the growth of the biological construction set. But beer doesn’t make a civilization alone. Fermentation experiments led to biochemistry that describes biomolecules. Thanks to microscopes we learned germ theory and how disease is transmitted. This biological construction set is now by far the biggest of all forms of making. There are about 150 types of electronic components, but chemists have access to over 20 million synthetic chemicals, with 1 million new ones each year. Then there’s health making: fabricating hardware that aids the human body and our health. We can call this broad grouping “Life Sciences Making” — a big-tent term for DIY biology, maker health technologies, maker bionics, DIY molecular gastronomy, and other fields where your bits and atoms also include cells and life. It’s the new kid on the block with a very old legacy. Today, life science and health makers form networks like MakerHealth and DIY bio communities, fueling open protocols and cheap instrumentation.
Need a place to begin? Check out the OpenAPS community’s continuous glucose monitors and Open Insulin’s insulin pumps, or extract your own DNA for a biohacked daiquiri or for use in a 3D printed centrifuge. —Jose Gomez-Marquez
Find a Biohacking Makerspace Near You
An extensive list of biolabs and meet-up groups from around the world. Now any maker from any place can get into biohacking.
OpenAPS Offers Open Source Tools for Diabetes Management
OpenAPS allows a person to use data from their CGM with a small computer to adjust the insulin being delivered through a pump.
Create Custom Screen Printing Designs at Home
Screen printing is very simple, and you can achieve pretty incredible results with primitive equipment.
Crowdfunding Tips and Tricks for Creators and Backers Alike
Crowdfunding is a fast-moving target these days, with niche sites emerging, a growing ecology of support services, the emergence of equity funding, and more. After talking to makers who’ve both successfully launched and backed projects, and to those in the crowdfunding business, we put together this collection of tips, tricks, and helpful resources for makers […]
9 Biohacking Projects and Resources to Inspire Your Next Experiment
Whether you’re converting your garage into a full blown lab or trying a few fun experiments, here are a few projects for anyone!
This Steampunk Remote Controls the Radio with Style
When you pick up the remote control to your stereo, are you pleased with how it looks? Most of us don’t put much thought into it, because they’re typically so bland that they’re nearly invisible. Michael Greensmith (@Bricabracwizard) wanted to take a different approach. “I wanted a remote control that’s so fun to use and would […]
