MIT DIYbio:Meetings/2009-09-19

Saturday, September 19, 2009
3pm
W20-1

Attendance

Paul -- MIT undergrad, 2011, Course 20 (bioengineering)

Feng -- MIT post-doc (Church Lab); undergrad at Harvard (chemistry & physics), doctorate at Stanford (neuroscience)

Cory -- MIT undergrad, 2012, Course 6 (EECS), may transfer to Course 20

Notes

• Paul: would like more feedback on constitution ideas
  • Feng: formalize outline into an actual document

• Paul: goes over mission statement
  • Feng: we should develop sample experiments for curious people

• Feng: interested in making posters

• Feng: what is membership currently?
  • Paul: 12 people on mailing list

• Paul: should we have dues?
  • Feng: hold off on discussion, try to get other money
  • Cory: no one would join if we had dues

• Paul: thoughts on keyholder policies?
  • Feng: seems fair to restrict to MIT students/affiliates
    • also consider liability concerns
    • would need to see what the interest in the group is like
  • Cory: easier to not worry about this yet

• Cory: do you envision this being like the Edgerton Center or Hobby Shop, and anyone who gets trained can come in and do things?
  • Paul: that's a great comparison
  • Feng: yeah, maybe like those groups, but with a little more student involvement/oversight
  • Cory: would have to be a bit smaller
  • Feng: perhaps we should require a proposal before doing projects?
    • could be necessary for safety reasons anyway
  • Cory: Hobby Shop is funded by its members, which goes into hiring administrative people
    • our model would probably deviate from this
    • crazy idea -- local biotech companies as sponsors?
  • Paul: I'll look more into Edgerton/Hobby Shop models

• Feng: would we have to limit the size of the group?
  • Paul: no idea; would prefer not to; would depend on constraints of EHS

• Paul: what do you think about the proposed executive board structure?
  • Feng: might make sense to require the four officers to be students
    • definitely keep members-at-large as position for anyone willing to serve as an advisor

• Cory: random idea -- any space in the new Koch cancer building?

• Paul: ASA application deadline soon (two weeks!)

• discussion of supplies/space requirements [below]

• have next meeting in classroom (larger, whiteboard, easier to find)

List of supplies

• flasks, beakers (glassware)
• dishes
• gloves
• tips
• goggles
• pipettes
• hot plates
• tubes
• waste containers (from EHS)
• shaker

Space requirements

• sink
• gas lines
• incubator access (ask politely from nearby labs?)