BioHacker Bootcamp Future Classes

I just wanted to let everyone know, that we are building a MicroBiology/Genetic Engineering lab here at DMS, right now we are working on a monthly recurring class that will teach the basics to people such as pipetting, gel electrophoresis, PCR and other topics.

The plan for the monthly recurring class is to have people take their own DNA and amplify it with PCR, then we will run it on a Gel as well as send it out to UT SouthWestern to have it sequenced at two zones of your mtDNA which can tell us some basic information about your ancestry.
The class will also do a basic bacterial transformation where you will add a marker gene to ecoli, and thus do your first Genetic Engineering experiment, which will be selected under an anti-biotic.

I have also done the research and now development for a DNA barcoding class, in this future class you will be able to test food from the grocery store to see if it is GMO or not, you will also be able to test and see what species something is, for example it has been found that man restaurants lie about what type of fish they are serving in their sushi or what type of meat is included in hamburgers, I also wonder if Bison meat is really what is being sold.
There are many opportunities for interesting work in this class.

We also are working on a Plant Genetic Engineering class where you will be able to do a basic modification of Tobacco plant making it flourescent under a UV lamp. This class is still in basic development.

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I am so excited about this, I would love to give it
a dozen loves!

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Ancestry.com will just say you are 30% Irish. Some organization did autosomal DNA tests through 4-5 of the sequencing services and they all came back with different answers. Makes you wonder!

Exactly how unique is one person’s DNA from others?

Some governmental agencies are accumulating DNA databases to be matched against DNA evidence from crime scenes. What are the odds of being wrongly snared by something like this?

Instead of autosomal DNA, we are sequencing mitochondrial DNA which doesn’t go through the same processes as nuclear DNA during meiosis and is passed down from your mom. That’s why it’s useful for finding out about your ancestry.

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@Josh_Melnick & @Ashley_Newland ~ How much will the DNA classes cost? Will there be any limitations (age restrictions, members only, etc…). The mitochondrial DNA would be a great compliment to the autosomal DNA tests that many have taken! :smiley:

Also, any chance of having another DNA necklace class? I wasn’t sure if kids were welcome, but I see kids were… If y’all do any other kid friendly classes, please let us know ~ because I for one would love to get my grandkids involved with science at the Space! :smiley:

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Copied and pasted from another thread:

@Josh_Melnick ~ Please do keep us posted! Thanks!

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I was really looking forward to these,

They’re still underway. We’re just working out minor kinks. We want these to be damn good and geared towards makers without Scientific backgrounds. Gel electrophoresis is tonight at 8.

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