IndieBiotech:Research

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Current Work

Constructs

pIND01 - A stable, biobrick compatible, antibiotic-independent B.subtilis cloning vector for DIY synthetic biology. Designed to minimise risk of deletions or plasmid remodelling. Should support large inserts. Low-Medium copy number. Will be licensed under an open-source equivalent, mirroring the function of CC-BY-SA, potentially involving an "Open Source DNA" MTA. Under validation.

Protocols

• Transformation of B.subtilis (under investigation)
• DNA staining in-gel with Crystal Violet and Methyl Orange (under ongoing investigation)

Prior Work

Equipment

• Dremelfuge: An open-source, printable centrifuge rotor for use with Dremel multitools. Available as Makerbot-printable file or for direct purchase through Shapeways. Easily achieves practical speeds required for microbiology and molecular biology tasks.

Protocols

A strong focus on DIY protocols for lab tasks is part of the core ethos of Indie Biotech.

• Making DIY Lysogeny/Luminescence Broth or Agar from OTC ingredients (achieved, requires re-write)
• Isolation and Culture of Photobacterium (AKA Vibrio) phosphoreum (achieved, requires re-write)
• Isolation and Culture of Gluconacetobacter xylinum (Achieved, To be written)
• Transformation of E.coli using OTC laxatives and epsom salts (Achieved, to be written)

Events

• "Synthetic Biology Crashcourse" at Science Gallery, Ireland, 2011
• "Intro to DIYbio & Microbiology Workshop" at Mindfield, Ireland, 2011
• "Intro to DIYbio & Microbiology Workshop" at Nexus Cork, Cork Lifelong Learning Festival, 2011
• Ignite-format Introduction to DIYbio/Synthetic Biology at Ignite Dublin #6

Planned Research

Replicative Synbio Toolkit

A suite of enzyme-producing constructs that use the same highly standardised method of enzyme purification. Purification route should require no special resins, columns or buffers that can't be easily made at home. The toolkit should be open-source licensed to enable rapid growth of the amateur synbio community as well as to slash costs of common enzymes used in molecular biology labs worldwide.

Other constructs or strains for polymers (i.e. agarose, biothermoplastics such as PLA), dyes and solvents (improved strains for ethanol, acetic acid, butanol..) would ideally be included eventually also.

Replicative Medicine Toolkit

A suite of medicine-producing constructs; antibiotics, antihelminthics, essential hormones (insulin/thyroxine), topical disinfectants

DIY Oligosynthesis

Ongoing theoretical work focused on methods of directing the assembly of