The document discusses the rise of biotechnology as an accessible technology that can transform everyday life, enabling not just scientists but also amateurs to experiment with DNA and genetic engineering. It highlights DIY bio labs and biohacker communities as platforms for innovation and personal discovery in biotechnology, supported by regulations that ensure safety. The overall sentiment is that the benefits of these accessible biotech opportunities greatly outweigh the associated risks.

1. B I O T E C H N O L O G Y
The Future of
W E I G A R O F O L O
W E I G A R O F O L O . W O R D P R E S S . C O M

2. B I O T E C H
A d v a n c e d T e c h n o l o g y
Everyday technology is becoming more
and more advanced and innovation our
everyday lives. A technology sector
taking the world by storm is
biotechnology. For those who don’t
know, biotech is the reading and writing
of DNA code. Biotech potentially has
the power to replace fossil fuels and
forever change our day-to-day lives.

3. D I Y
B I O
When people think of who can use the
power of biotech, they usually think of
biologists or scientists creating
groundbreaking experiments. But what
if everyday people and armatures
could have the opportunity to dabble
with biotechnology?
Instead of this kind of technology only
being available in government labs to
just a few select scientists, it can be
accessible to everyone who would like
to use it and experiment with is.

4. In a 2012 TED Talk by Ellen Jorgensen, the great
mind behind the nonprofit DIYbio lab in Brooklyn
called Genspace, she discusses the great potential
of biotech being accessible to everyone.
T E D T a l k

5. B I O T E C H F O R
A M A T U R E S
Everyday people are able to think
of experiments and innovations for
their everyday lives that some
scientists may not have been able
to come up with themselves.
There are now biohacker spaces and communities
reverse engineering lab equipment, genetically
engineering bacteria and experimenting with the
code to all living things. In a DIYbio lab, they can
make their own discoveries and conduct their
own unique experiments.
When Genspace was first launched, there was a
cry for the next Frankenstein. What the press
didn’t understand about the DIYbio lab was the
great potential it honed to revolutionize our
everyday lives.
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6. P O S I T I V E S V . N E G A T I V E S
People tend to think DIYbio labs and biohacker spaces
presents a threat due to biohazards and biosecurity. On the
contrary, the United Nations found that the positive
outcomes that could come from DIYbio far outweighs the
potential negative risks. DIYbio labs now have state and
local regulations to properly dispose of waste and follow
set safety procedures. Working in a DIYbio lab is safe and
has great potential.

7. “In a biohacker space, you can analyze your genome for
mutations. You can analyze your breakfast cereal for GMO's,
and you can explore your ancestry. You can send weather
balloons up into the stratosphere, collect microbes, see
what's up there." - Ellen Jorgensen
When everyday people have the opportunity to become
familiar with biotechnology, they have the potential to
create groundbreaking innovations.

8. To read the full
article,
visit WeiGarofolo.
wordpress.com
Wei Garofolo