by barradarcy

There has been a lot of hype recently about young people trying to make genetic engineering something that everybody can do (Google: biopunk, biohacking, synthetic biology..) and apparently some people, even kids are already doing this! They are either trying to fiddle strains of E.Coli to find a cure or making glowing plants, fish...etc 'in their basements at home'. The dangers are clear to anybody who even hears the words 'G.M.' spoken....the media are full of super-bugs, GM food scares and the unspoken of fear that somewhere...somehow...'somebody' is engineering a biological weapon which could easily spell the end of the world for everyone.

How-ever; I heard somebody saying recently that nature is tough and being the interested bystander...I am intregued by all this. Yet, like most scientific things...the methods and rules are vague or cloaked in jargon that is impossible to understand. This is disappointing as I would have thought that anybody who was all for the freedom of GM would be out there explaining the materials and methods used.

Therefore I am posting this here in the hope that people who do this sort of 'magic' will share and discuss the equipment and methods, the rules and techniques used in such processes. I, myself, and starting off and would be very happy to be given any hints and tips and some help as to what to start with, thank you:)