Events
CRISPR Genome Editing Workshop
Sunday, December 10, 2017
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 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 (Biohacking: You Can Do . . . More details
Hacking DNA with Synthetic Biology
Saturday, December 9, 2017
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
A 12-hour class in 3 weekend sessions: December 9, 10 & 17th - 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
Barbarians at the Gate: The Truth About Antibiotics
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The development of antibiotics has revolutionized our society – we’re now much less likely to die from infections following a small cut in the hand or even open heart surgery. There are, however, serious consequences of our the extensive use of antibiotics. I will talk about how microorganisms produce antibiotics to compete with each other, and how we have exploited this natural arsenal of weapons to our benefit and detriment. While the advantages are obvious in the clinic, antibiotics are used also in cases where they are not needed, and as growth enhancers in life stock. The two main problems we are now facing are antibiotic resistance and disturbance of our beneficial microbes. I will explain how resistance arise and spread, and how the loss of “friendly” bacteria from our gut may lead to problems with obesity, diabetes and asthma. Dr. Sandra Breum Andersen is a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab . . . More details
Windows of the Soul: The Science of Vision
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Like most primates, we humans rely heavily on our visual perception to guide ourselves around the world and our brains are very good at processing visual information about different shapes, colors and brightness levels. But the sum of all physical attributes is not sufficient to recognize something (or someone). To recognize something is to give meaning to it. The meaning of an object is not merely an intrinsic physical feature of the object, but something also defined by internal representations in our brains- often based in past experience. You cannot recognize what you never saw. There are also many levels of recognition. You are shown a green leaf and you will say “that’s a leaf” while someone else would say “that is a leaf from a red oak”. Thus visual perception is not just the processing of information about the physical attributes of what we see, but the process of . . . More details
Methuselah’s Return: Aging and Longevity Science in the 21st Century
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A Talk by Dr. Oliver Medvedik Must we grow old and die? Understanding how and why we age and, by extension, devising a "cure" for our own mortality,has long been part of humanity's quest since earliest recorded history. In the relatively short period of time that tools of molecular biology have been developed, they have now been applied to questions of aging and longevity with incredibly fruitful results. These findings, along with their application to new classes of therapeutics being developed to inhibit and even reverse aging, will be discussed. Dr. Oliver Medvedik, TED Fellow and open-source synthetic biologist and director of the Maurice Kanbar Center for Biomedical Research at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. He is cofounder and Vice President of the Life Extension Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that maintains a crowdfunding platform Lifespan.io for funding of longevity and life extension research. Dr. Medvedik’s career stems . . . More details
Hacking DNA with Synthetic Biology
Monday, September 25, 2017
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A 12-hour class in 4 weeknight sessions: September 25-28th - 6-9PM 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. During this hands-on class you will delve into the iGEM library of standardized DNA parts, linking them together and loading your DNA program into a bacterial cell to build and test a biosensor circuit. It's helpful to have basic lab skills taught in our introductory class (or equivalent). Minimum age is 13, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent. 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 . . . More details
PCR + Pizza
Monday, September 18, 2017
7:00 pm - 10:00 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
Grand Opening Party for Biotech Without Borders
Thursday, September 7, 2017
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Please join us for an open house-style evening to celebrate the opening of Biotech Without Borders, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit community biolab in Brooklyn NY. We welcome friends, new and old to see our wonderful new facilities on the 4th floor of the MEx Building at 33 Flatbush Avenue. Food - Drinks - DNA Hijinks Biotech Without Borders was co-founded by Dr. Ellen Jorgensen, Megan Wallner, and Dr. Kumar Vadaparty. It is a state-of-the art BSL2 facility that will support early proof-of-concept work and bioentrepreneurship, training and mentoring of students and teachers, and will hold advanced biotech classes and group projects open to the general public. See our website for more details! More details
A 21st Century Revolution: How Epigenetics is Transforming our Understanding of Health and Disease
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A KnowScience Talk by Andrew Abrams One should be wary of understating the importance of DNA in biology. Its elucidation in the 20th Century must surely count among humanity’s greatest scientific achievements, transforming the way we think about life and providing a common thread between organisms as diverse as bacteria and chimpanzees. However, there are many profound biological questions that genetics is unable to resolve, not least among them some of our most intimate concerns about human health and disease, and the critical role of our lifestyle and other environmental factors in shaping these. The exploding field of epigenetics has the potential to address these questions. In this talk we will explore what we mean by epigenetics, why it is so important, and how we might be able to harness it for a healthier future. Andrew Abrams grew up in London, England and studied Natural Sciences and Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts . . . More details
Editing Genomes with CRISPR
Monday, August 21, 2017
7:00 pm - 10:00 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 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 (Biohacking: You Can Do . . . More details
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