You are currently browsing the Endorf Inn weblog archives for March, 2010.
27. March 2010 by admin.
I’ve been in contact with the Educational Outreach at J. Craig Venter International in Rockville, and suggested that we’d love to speak to some of their scientists working in Synthetic Biology, as part of the spring/summer lecture series. They have responded postively and are awaiting a speaker proposal. We’ll discuss the timing and subject matter of this at our next meeting on the 12th of April.
Posted in Media, Networking, DIY, Events, Synthetix, Academic | Print | No Comments »
26. March 2010 by admin.
Checking out prices of DNA synthesizers on eBay… found one for $2400
Apparently the cleaning diagnostic doesn’t run, or they haven’t figured out how to clean the lines… Maybe this would be an easier project… just fixing a broken one. But you’d like to know it might work if you’re putting forth that kind of cash out of pocket
Posted in Media, Synthetix, Nano NaNu | Print | No Comments »
24. March 2010 by admin.
I recently contacted Bryan Bishop of the H+ community in regards to what the state of the art of DIY synthesis was, since I was interested in seeing if we can make an inexpensive unit. He suggested that the inkjet synthesis was far too bulky, and suggested I check out the newer Lab on a Chip/microfluidic assemblies. What many array manufacturers are referring to as NGS or Next Generation Sequencing, that can put together entire chromosomes.
Here are a few of the players in the field as of the moment.
Bryan has a whole bunch of DIY-based information on the subject, and is willing to correspond. Unfortunately most of this is abit over my head with my current lack of engineering background. I’m hoping a few of you, might have some interest in following this up.
“Right now there’s a lot of background community support for building a DIY DMD micromirror array for photolabile-based DNA synthesis. These rrays cost about $300 for 1024×2048 cells. The major cost otherwise
is documenting, confirming and purchasing the requisite chemicals. The inkjet plotter approach is interesting, but big and bulky and very expensive. Hell, PoSaM was in a nitrogen atmosphere or something. So, if you’re interested in the DIY DMD micromirror array approach, please it me up.. I have lots of literature that you can download on the subject.
And in general I have lots of literature available here:
http://designfiles.org/papers/
http://designfiles.org/papers/microfluidics/
.. and if you do express an interest in the DMD approach, I’ll dig up the relevant papers.”
Thanks Bryan, we’ll definately be getting back in contact with you regarding this.
Posted in Networking, DIY, Synthetix, Academic | Print | No Comments »
23. March 2010 by admin.
No mission to Mars has ever found complex carbon-based molecules, from which life as we know it is built. But sulphur is everywhere on Mars - it is more abundant there than on Earth - and it could contain one of the signatures of life. On Earth, the activity of some microbes converts one class of sulphur-containing compounds, the sulphates, into another, the sulphides. The microbes prefer to work with the lighter sulphur-32 isotope, so the sulphides they produce are relatively deficient in the heavier isotope, sulphur-34. Planetary scientists have long wondered whether we could use this pattern to discern signs of life on Mars. Now the prospects for this technique look better than ever.
Posted in Media, Synthetix, Academic | Print | No Comments »
23. March 2010 by admin.
Posted in Networking, Media, Synthetix, Nano NaNu | Print | No Comments »
23. March 2010 by admin.
Here’s another fantastic FIB program (<-at least it’s not posted on April 1st.. lol).
Speaking with : Rahul Sarpeshkar, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of Ultra Low Power Bioelectronics: Fundamentals, Biomedical Applications, and Bio-inspired Systems
http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521857277
I think I’ll have to pick that text up…
This is a two part-series (FIB 52 & FIB 55) you can link through and follow it if you’re interested.
Posted in Media, DIY, Synthetix, Academic, Nano NaNu | Print | No Comments »
23. March 2010 by admin.
Just came upon this older webcast interview with Drew Endy of SynBERC on the Focus In Biotech webcasts. Nice series, link up to check out additional audio tracks.
Posted in Media, DIY, Synthetix | Print | No Comments »
23. March 2010 by admin.
Scientific America Highlights SynBio in this April 2010 Article, which reviews Keasling’s experiments that use E. Coli to transform biomass into Diesel.
Posted in BioFuel, Media, Synthetix | Print | No Comments »
20. March 2010 by admin.
This just in from Dr. Burkett.
“I also set up a course (BIOL 281-Cooperative Education: Biology (Section PZ1; CRN# 52644) with a special note section that it is for the iGEM competition. It is a one credit course so the financials shouldn’t be too onerous for anyone ( about $100.00 for in county). If we could work out a way that Towson students or Howard students, or UMBC students could get a credit for the course that would be great. I don’t think there will be any requirement for mentors to pay the fee. I’m going to look into some mechanism so that qualified mentors can have better access to the lab-not sure what that would be right now but I’ll work on it.”
So we’re in. We’ll be holding a second meeting 8 pm on Monday, April 12th in Rm D206: CCBC- Catonsville’s Biotechnology lab.
This will be an opportunity to differentiate DIY-Bio vs. iGEM 2010 team and how these projects will interact to feed the community of interested.
Note that DIY-Bio communities from Boston, NYC, and LA are also attempting to get their teams in. If you thought this was just for kids, it’s time to step up and represent BioMore.
Suggested Agenda items to be considered.
DIY-Bio projects (Re-imagining the design of the Sythesizer/Microarray)
iGEM competition projects and interactions
Outreach opportunities:Discussing Robotfest Table
Considerations for Lecture Series / Workshops
Employment Opportunities / Networking
If I can get a decent headcount, I’ll try and clear the supplies we’ll need to do the DNA extraction, otherwise we’ll save it for Robotfest demonstrations.
WOOHOO!
E-mail me via admin@genoblasts.com
Posted in Networking, DIY, Events, Academic, Bubbles | Print | No Comments »
20. March 2010 by admin.
The MdBio Division of Tech Council of Maryland is pleased to host a legislative briefing by Jeanne Haggerty, Director of Federal Government Relations for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Ms. Haggerty will present BIO’s federal policy platform and elaborate on critical issues relevant to biotech business leaders today, including follow-on biologics, patent reform, and capital formation.
The program will be held at 9800 Medical Center Drive in Rockville, Maryland known as Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.’s Life Science and Translational Research Center.
Posted in Networking, DIY, Events, Synthetix | Print | No Comments »