Re: [DIYbio] Realities of Biohacking in a UK home lab

Hi Dave, regulation and law talk aside, what is your background? What
age range are you? Are you done with high school, university? I
don't know what A level is.

Starting a lab can be tough, many of us have spent years trying to
slowly put things together, and will probably spend many more. That
being said, it shouldn't deter you, many things can be had on the
cheap or improvised. It all depends on what you want to do really,
and I know it's frustrating when people say that, but it's true.
Sometimes its nice for people to tell you exactly what to do, and
exactly what you need to do it. On the other hand, the spirit of
science is blazing your own trail, using skills and techniques you've
acquired to do your own unique research.

For now do some brainstorming and figure out what you'd like to do.
Put aside any limitations you feel might exist due to equipment or
lack of knowledge, and just be creative.

Want to make a bacteria that swims in the oceans and feeds on crude oil?
Want to make a plant that glows in the presence of heavy metals?
Want to make a virus that kills skin cancer and releases floral scents
while it does so?

All crazy ideas, some impractical, but sometimes thinking up the most
insane things possible can start you on the path to making something
insane, but still possible, and useful.

Read through the iGEM team projects and look at all the sweet things
they were able to do, then work backwards on a project that interests
you.

Obviously some idea of how DNA is turned into proteins will help, but
the science can come after. It's actually easier to learn the science
to pursue an idea you have than sometimes coming up with the actual
idea.

I know many chemists that turned into biologists step by step, and
vice versa. None had the complete knowledge of the other field
because they never studied it, but you can use the knowledge you do
have, and with a lot of reading, learn the science you don't yet know.

I don't know, give us an idea of what it is you want to do.

I understand where you are coming from and hope to have a remedy for
it soon. I quit my job and am going to work full time on DIY research
and trying to make that possible for others as well.

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