Biology's McGyver: DIY DNA P.C.R.

joesao writes "In this short, charming interview, Dr. Eva Harris talks about popularizing biology by doing what she calls "knowledge-based" technology transfer: "...people purify DNA for P.C.R. processing with a fancy substance made of silica particles, which costs about $100 for a few milliliters. [...] So what we've done is buy a 20-pound bag of ceramic dust for $5 at the hobby store. And you wash the stuff in nitric acid and sterilize it, and then you have thousands of tubes of that substance. We're not violating anything because the commercial manufacturers have their way of doing this, and we have ours." Open-source biology, anyone?"

Comments

Safety

[cybermage]

I've been patiently waiting for scientists, who know what they're doing, to accidentally end life on this planet. Bring the costs down to the point where every joe six-pack can resequence DNA in his basement lab, and now were talking.

Guess I don't need to go out and buy Christmas presents. We'll all be dead by then.

Obligatory /. running gag: I, for one, welcome our new three-eyed overlords.

Penis

[Anonymous Coward]

My Girlfriend calls my penis MacGyver.