Biopunk

Description

Bill Gates recently told Wired that if he were a teenager today, he would be hacking biology. "If you want to change the world in some big way," he says, "that's where you should start-biological molecules." The most disruptive force on the planet resides in DNA. Biotech companies and academic researchers are just beginning to unlock the potential of piecing together life from scratch. Champions of synthetic biology believe that turning genetic code into Lego-like blocks to build never-before-seen organisms could solve the thorniest challenges in medicine, energy, and environmental protection. But as the hackers who cracked open the potential of the personal computer and the Internet proved, the most revolutionary discoveries often emerge from out-of-the-way places, forged by brilliant outsiders with few resources besides boundless energy and great ideas. In Biopunk, Marcus Wohlsen chronicles a growing community of DIY scientists working outside the walls of corporations and universities who are committed to democratizing DNA the way the Internet did information. The "biohacking" movement, now in its early, heady days, aims to unleash an outbreak of genetically modified innovation by making the tools and techniques of biotechnology accessible to everyone. Borrowing their idealism from the worlds of open-source software, artisinal food, Internet startups, and the Peace Corps, biopunks are devoted advocates for open-sourcing the basic code of life. They believe in the power of individuals with access to DNA to solve the world's biggest problems. You'll meet a new breed of hackers who aren't afraid to get their hands wet, from entrepreneurs who aim to bring DNA-based medical tools to the poorest of the poor to a curious tinkerer who believes a tub of yogurt and a jellyfish gene could protect the world's food supply. These biohackers include- -A duo who started a cancer drug company in their kitchen -A team who built an open-source DNA copy machine -A woman who developed a genetic test in her apartment for a deadly disease that had stricken her family Along with the potential of citizen science to bring about disruptive change, Wohlsen explores the risks of DIY bioterrorism, the possibility of genetic engineering experiments gone awry, and whether the ability to design life from scratch on a laptop might come sooner than we think.

Marcus Wohlsen is a San Francisco-based technology reporter for the Associated Press. He is the author of Biopunk- Solving Biotech's Biggest Problems in Kitchens and Garages.

"In the same way that hackers in the 1970s launched the computer revolution, a new generation of do-it-yourselfers are acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to hack life itself. "Biopunk" is an enthralling account of the most important technological story of our generation." -Mark Frauenfelder, editor in chief of "Make" and author of "Made By Hand" "Marcus Wohlsen's fast-paced tour of home-brew DNA dicers and splicers lights up a world of edgy, young Prometheans whose dreams are as breathtaking as they are controversial. Read "Biopunk" to find out what these tattooed, wet-lab hackers are stirring up in their kitchens and garages, what inspires their often outlandish visions, and how their campaign to bring biotech's godlike power to the masses may ultimately reshape both our lives and the life forms around us." -David Stipp, author of "The Youth Pill" "We're going to look back on the emergence of DIY biology like we look back on the emergence of perso