[DIYbio] Re: crispr.kitchen - genome hacking retreat 12 - 17 march

crispr.kitchen

Genome Hacking Retreat 12-17 March 2017

KIT_ITAS invites biologists, computer and hardware engineers, lawyers and patent attorney, social and humanity scholars and artists and designers! Join our retreat and submit your ideas on how to hack crispr cas technology! In Total 7400€ awards for best submissions are waiting!

SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT // DEADLINE 15th Dec 2016
www.crispr.kitchen

Genome Hacking Retreat 12 - 17 March 2017

KIT-ITAS is inviting young scientist from the natural sciences, social sciences, the humanities and legal Sciences, as well as biohackers to a one week retreat (Klausurwoche) at the UnternehmerTUM, Munich. We want to explore and discuss what could be the consequences of a democratized and decentral use of genome editing in the near future.– involving scenario building approaches and simulation games. Furthermore, presentations of participants and invited experts will help to develop critical questions and provide crucial background knowledge.

The enormous progress in recent years of DNA sequencing and the increasing knowledge on genetic elements raises hopes that these insights will become medically and industrially exploitable. The recently developed CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology allows for the fast, cheap and easily applicable processing of genomic DNA in cells and organisms.

Mainly due to the momentousness of interventions of the germline and eco-systems there are ethical and legal questions of who may be entitled to use genome editing, of which ways of using this technology shall be legitimate, or according to which criteria decisions shall be made.

However, apart from lighthouse projects such as somatic and (potential) germline therapeutic editing approaches in humans or modification of animals (for fundamental research or the generation of disease models), there are a number of less clear and yet unidentified possible application of genome editing. Among them is the manipulation of animal and plant ecosystems through "gene drives" or microbiome editing of the human enteric flora.

Furthermore, genome editing involving cis-genetic gene variants (i. e. no foreign / transgenic DNA is introduced into the target organism) will challenge and may push the limits of existing GMO regulations. In this retreat, we want to invent and reflect on possible "hacks" of the CRISPR technology from various disciplinary perspectives.

We are looking for your ideas related to hacking of genomes using CRISPR and related technologies on potential scientific-technical, ethical, regulatory or societal issues. We especially encourage ideas on yet unknown applications, new and simple tools for "kitchen-style" genome editing as well as ideas regarding legal and ethical implications of genome hacking. These will be an important element for the development of the scenarios and their exploration in simulation games

AWARDS FOR SUBMISSIONS:

• the 5 best submissions of biohackers will be awarded with 1000€ each and a fully sponsored week in Munich

• all other participants will receive 300€ and a fully sponsored week in Munich

• submit your idea abstract in form of text, experimental protocol, technical data files or as a slidedeck. 

Check the other pages to get inspired by our thought experiments, technical and scientific background information and legal and ethical considerations. However, you are totally free in what ideas you submit. The more you surprise us with new and cool hacks, the better!

When and Where?

The retreat "Genome Hacking will happen from 

12 - 17 March 2017 

at the Biohackerspace of the UnternehmerTUM

UnternehmerTUM 

Garching TU-Campus

Munich, Germany

www.crispr.kitchen

by Rüdiger Trojok, KIT_ITAS