Who are our members and who can be a member?
Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us. We encourage people from all walks of life to particpate in our lab, classes and discussions. We have a minimum age limit of 18 and older, but will accept younger students on a case by case basis.
What if I don’t know anything about Biology but I am interested?
That’s great! We seeking people with any background to join us. Many of us haven’t taken chemistry or biology since high school and now we can work very comfortably in the lab environment. We need people with diverse backgrounds to participate and bring new ideas to our community. And there are many ways to participate, so don’t be shy! Come visit us!
What is DIY BIO?
DIYbio.org was founded in 2008 with the mission of establishing a vibrant, productive and safe community of DIY biologists. Central to their mission is the belief that biotechnology and greater public understanding about it has the potential to benefit everyone.
WHY is algae important?
Algae make up about 100,000 species of organisms which offer incredible value to our planet. 100% of all the original oxygen on our planet came from algae. 99% of all fossil fuels are from algae. They are one of the fastest growing organisms on the planet (doubling in size every 24 hours) and consuming CO2 to produce oxygen. We are on the planet today because of algae. Did you know that single-celled dynoflagellites are a species of algae which bioluminesce and have a genome 30 times the size of the human genome? Their genome has never been sequenced because it’s too large!
What kind of projects do members work on?
Members work on the everything from practicing basic lab techniques of molecular biology to learning how to extract genes from one organism and “transform” them into another. Typically, we work with e coli but we also work with algae.
What kind of classes do you teach?
We teach classes on everything from the basic theory and science behind the biology of life to the sterile lab techniques, safety in the lab, how to use our equipment, DNA extractions, PCR amplification of DNA, using pipettes, plasmid and primer design, mini-prepping plasmids from bacteria cells, transformations, and algae systems design and growing techniques etc.
When can I visit?
We typically meet every Wednesday evening from 7-10PM and Saturdays from noon to 4PM. However, our lab is available every day and evening for those who are interested to work in it. Check out and join our meetup HERE so you can find out more.
What about Safety? Isn’t allowing people to work in a biology lab dangerous?
Our biology lab functions at a Biosafety Level – 1 level (BSL-1), which is equivalent to what you would find in a high school biology lab. We require all our members to undergo safety orientation.
I have a science background and experience in the lab. Do I really need to take your safety orientation?
Yes, we require all members working in the wet lab to go through our safety orientation regardless of formal education or past training. Every lab has its own rules specific to itself.
