Chapter 5. The Development of the Personal Genetic Kit
Scientific advancements in synthetic biology, coupled with entrepreneurial projects, are creating the future of biology. The ability to create, manipulate, and program life is in the hands of a limited number of central institutions. However, maturation of personal biotech tools will empower more people to invent new tools and products. In this article, I will highlight multiple personal biotechnology tools developed to bring biotechnology to the masses.
Bento Bioworks is developing a personal biotechnology tool called Bento Lab that is marketed as the “Arduino for Biotechnology” (Figure 5-1). This all-in-one lab device is a personal biotech product with a PCR machine, centrifuge, and gel electrophoresis, along with a blue LED transluminator. It is a platform to copy and detect DNA. Although Bento’s product is functionally simple, the emergence of tools that allow an individual to conduct biotech experiments promises to change the course of humanity. The advent of tools like Bento signals the coming age of personal biotech. The Bento team is led by Bethan Wolfenden and Philipp Boeing, and they are currently testing the Bento Lab device prior to selling it to the public. However, the device will be available to beta testers this summer. By creating a device to help democratize bioengineering, Philipp and Bethan are pioneers in personal biotechnology.
OpenTrons is another platform that allows biologists to rapidly ...
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