Events
Are We Ready for Designer Babies? A Public Forum on Genome Editing
Thursday, July 12, 2018
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sign Up for this Free Special Event! Join us at Biotech Without Borders for a public forum around engineering the human genome. For 100 years we have been imagining it in science fiction, but we are now at the point where it may become everyday reality through new technologies such as CRISPR. The Forum will begin with a brief talk/question & answer by Dr. Ellen Jorgensen about the newest developments in the area. Then we'll run through some very real scenarios to explore the social, economic and moral implications of editing our own evolution. Food and drink will be provided! This event is held in collaboration with the Museum of Science in Boston, who developed the Forum content for their NSF grant "Building With Biology". More details
PCR + Pizza
Monday, July 9, 2018
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Come on down to BwB's regular Open Night! Pizza, beer, and Lab work. Extract DNA from yourself and amplify it using PCR to test yourself for a CCR5 mutation, or just relax and have some great conversations around democratizing science. No charge, but donations for the pizza and beer greatly appreciated! More details
Hacking DNA with Synthetic Biology
Sunday, July 8, 2018
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
A 12-hour class in 3 weekend sessions: July 8, 15 & 22nd - 3-7PM What if building a new life form was as easy as Lego bricks? Synthetic biology aims to simplify genetic engineering by creating libraries of DNA 'parts' that can be hooked together to form biological circuits. This has the added benefit of making it accessible to everyone, not just scientists. DNA is your source code. But can we think of DNA as a collection of circuits and routines that keep us alive? Synthetic Biology is the science of standardizing DNA ‘parts’, much like resistors and capacitors are standardized in electronics. In this class you will learn the theory and practice of Synbio, a discipline that is enabling a new wave of biotech startups to thrive. You will learn SBOL, the visual language of synthetic biology, and how to use online registries of DNA parts to design new and . . . More details
CRISPR Genome Editing Workshop
Saturday, June 30, 2018
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
CRISPR is the new genome editing technology that has disrupted the biotechnology industry. Is it really plug-and-play? Are we gods now? During the workshop you will do hands-on lab work to edit the genome of yeast using CRISPR-Cas9. We'll take a look at the latest CRISPR developments and the ethical questions created by them- from editing human embryos to bringing back the Woolly Mammoth- and the bitter battle over patents and the Nobel Prize. Instructor Dr. Ellen Jorgensen is president of Biotech Without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting science literacy and hands-on access to biotechnology. In 2009 she cofounded Genspace, named one of the World's Top 10 Innovative Companies in Education by Fast Company. Her efforts to promote low-cost bio-innovation are featured in Nature, Science, Discover, Wired, Make, BBC News, Dan Rather, PBS News, Discovery Channel, and The NY Times. She has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, spent many years in the biotechnology industry, and . . . More details
DIY Tissue Culture
Tuesday, June 26, 2018 - Wednesday, June 27, 2018
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A Two-part Workshop Tuesday & Wednesday June 26th & 27th 6-9PM Henrietta Lacks' cells are immortal. They have been dividing in Petri dishes since the 1940s. How do we keep human cell lines growing endlessly? This workshop will introduce you to tissue culture. Working with a human lung cell line, you will learn what types of media human cells need to grow, how to propagate them and above all how to achieve good sterile technique. As a bonus, you will also use a DIY cell culture setup to isolate live cells from a chicken leg from the supermarket! Instructor Dr. Ellen Jorgensen is president of Biotech Without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting science literacy and hands-on access to biotechnology. In 2009 she cofounded Genspace, named one of the World's Top 10 Innovative Companies in Education by Fast Company. Her efforts to promote low-cost bio-innovation are featured in Nature, Science, Discover, . . . More details
Plant Tissue Culture Workshop
Sunday, June 24, 2018
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Many plants and vegetables you see in the supermarket today are produced using tissue culture, and it's a fundamental skill required for genetic engineering of plants. In this 3-hour workshop, students will learn the fascinating history of this technique in research and agriculture, the basic principles of plant somatic embryogenesis, and how this process can be used to propagate various plants. Students will learn sterile tissue culture technique and make their own cultures to take home. No experience in biology is necessary and all are welcome. Optional: Bring you own seeds! Instructor Tina Shin Lai is a scientist at Brooklyn Bio. She holds a master's degree from the Penn State Plant Biology Graduate Program: Hucks Life Science Institute where her work focused on improving Somatic Embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao. She received her BSc in Biology specializing in Plants from Penn State University in 2011. Her previous research areas involve analyzing the effects of arabinose . . . More details
Biotech for Coders: A Crash Course in Programming DNA
Monday, May 14, 2018
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A Two-Part Class - Mondays May 14th & 21st - 6-9 PM DNA is our source code, the molecule that contains all the information necessary to recreate an organism from scratch. Instead of 1s and 0s, DNA uses G, A, T and C to program the operations of life. The molecular pathways of a cell are similar to electrical circuits. How far can we take this analogy? In this class you will learn how DNA carries information, how genetic circuits are arranged, and how to start programming life instead of machines. We will also do some hands-on lab work- you will load a DNA program into a cell and see the results. Instructor Dr. Ellen Jorgensen is president of Biotech Without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting science literacy and hands-on access to biotechnology. In 2009 she cofounded Genspace, named one of the World's Top 10 Innovative Companies in . . . More details
CRISPR Genome Editing Workshop
Sunday, May 13, 2018
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
CRISPR is the new genome editing technology that has disrupted the biotechnology industry. Is it really plug-and-play? Are we gods now? During the workshop you will do hands-on lab work to edit the genome of yeast using CRISPR-Cas9. We'll take a look at the latest CRISPR developments, from editing human embryos to bringing back the Woolly Mammoth, and the bitter battle over patents and the Nobel Prize. Instructor Dr. Ellen Jorgensen is president of Biotech Without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting science literacy and hands-on access to biotechnology. In 2009 she cofounded Genspace, named one of the World's Top 10 Innovative Companies in Education by Fast Company. Her efforts to promote low-cost bio-innovation are featured in Nature, Science, Discover, Wired, Make, BBC News, Dan Rather, PBS News, Discovery Channel, and The NY Times. She has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, spent many years in the biotechnology industry, and is faculty at Cooper Union. Her TED talks . . . More details
Biotech Crash Course
Saturday, May 5, 2018
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
A 12-hour class in 3 sessions May 5th, 12th & 19th 3-7 PM The original biotechnology class for the general public developed by Dr. Ellen Jorgensen who has been teaching it in biohackerspaces since 2011. No previous science experience necessary! Have you ever wanted to program a living cell? This is the class for you! We assume no prior knowledge of biology, and take you through the process of genetic engineering step-by-step. You will learn the basic techniques that enabled the biotech revolution, including gel electrophoresis, PCR and bacterial transformation. Extract DNA from your own cells and anaylyze it for markers of maternal ancestry. Learn how genes are moved from one organism into another. Cut and paste DNA using enzymes and load your DNA circuits into a bacterial cell. This is a hands-on class, so wear comfy shoes- you will be at the bench most of the time. Minimum age . . . More details
Plant Tissue Culture Workshop
Sunday, April 29, 2018
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Many plants and vegetables you see in the supermarket today are produced using tissue culture, and it's a fundamental skill required for genetic engineering of plants. In this 3-hour workshop, students will learn the fascinating history of this technique in research and agriculture, the basic principles of plant somatic embryogenesis, and how this process can be used to propagate various plants. Students will learn sterile tissue culture technique and make their own cultures to take home. No experience in biology is necessary and all are welcome. Optional: Bring you own seeds! Instructor Tina Shin Lai is a scientist at Brooklyn Bio. She holds a master's degree from the Penn State Plant Biology Graduate Program: Hucks Life Science Institute where her work focused on improving Somatic Embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao. She received her BSc in Biology specializing in Plants from Penn State University in 2011. Her previous research areas involve analyzing the effects of arabinose . . . More details
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