tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37939145180528148082024-02-20T01:51:27.184+07:00F.labAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-81964760896681420042019-07-20T13:49:00.003+07:002019-07-20T14:21:11.394+07:003D Printed DIYbio Hardware Updates <b><span style="color: #666666;">July 20, 2019 | F.Lab</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></b><br />
<br />
It's been a while since we've posted here. Our DIYbio hardware updates are usually posted on the <a href="http://appliedtechnologylab.blogspot.com/"><b>Applied Technology Lab blog here</b></a> and all the files and build instructions are in <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/ProgressTH/collections/diybio"><b>ProgressTH's Thingiverse DIYbio collection here</b></a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5UUAHxLqhRHLNWckENjlpxMXD7z_Zn4I89Mq10gEiU_H3tEYa6W04u-Yj9txptN767ehXwdtHVTZClN2C4Xxf9hY1QnJuJM4ZnwdR_zVJJY4moAuYfCMIA8-QfYmGDIo8sllERZJz50s/s1600/IMG_20190717_174101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5UUAHxLqhRHLNWckENjlpxMXD7z_Zn4I89Mq10gEiU_H3tEYa6W04u-Yj9txptN767ehXwdtHVTZClN2C4Xxf9hY1QnJuJM4ZnwdR_zVJJY4moAuYfCMIA8-QfYmGDIo8sllERZJz50s/s640/IMG_20190717_174101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Since our last post which was about version 2 of our centrifuge, we've developed a <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2983846"><b>larger orbital shaker</b></a>, a larger and more powerful <b><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3752389">magnetic stirrer</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3702648">version 3</a></b> of our centrifuge.<br />
<br />
Maybe the coolest thing is that many of the ideas behind our updates come from people on Thingiverse making and modifying our designs. The use of DC motors and cheap motor speed controllers was something we didn't think about (because we didn't have them on hand) but was such a great idea we ordered and incorporated them into newer designs.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>We've also tested a way of preserving red cabbage for pH testing by soaking coffee filter paper in blended red cabbage and water, then drying it out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA3G_5fSz6PZaN4pzdmn-HkXXgV65edNyFVdc4ho9Ysna3-K0LBvRAtQ99EG_xsj0gBQFlagH1tZ2YRyl37Wtfi3XiEW13fhsT6FUCuE1lU2m1yp-u0EB0QlcR7tUjUCIGO2L3UWqJhRl/s1600/IMG_20190528_002809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA3G_5fSz6PZaN4pzdmn-HkXXgV65edNyFVdc4ho9Ysna3-K0LBvRAtQ99EG_xsj0gBQFlagH1tZ2YRyl37Wtfi3XiEW13fhsT6FUCuE1lU2m1yp-u0EB0QlcR7tUjUCIGO2L3UWqJhRl/s640/IMG_20190528_002809.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
By cutting the paper into small squares and mixing it with whatever liquid you're testing, or distilled water mixed with a solid/semi-solid (like a piece of soap), the water will change accordingly, just as it does with the fresh red cabbage protocol <b><a href="https://f-labth.blogspot.com/2018/09/protocol-red-cabbage-ph-testing.html">discussed here</a></b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSwnLIzf6i65W9SkewuKlWl0EtfvtvtijpDiplNSwS7Bn-iaOqctfmUDsbYMR728pIeJRzvfa-uEiNc2CQf4j9MRbl_Pjz7EPXyIrvdLg1OiwDmWKvWskD5gAaOaNLMBuH4Mo2jy1rstV/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSwnLIzf6i65W9SkewuKlWl0EtfvtvtijpDiplNSwS7Bn-iaOqctfmUDsbYMR728pIeJRzvfa-uEiNc2CQf4j9MRbl_Pjz7EPXyIrvdLg1OiwDmWKvWskD5gAaOaNLMBuH4Mo2jy1rstV/s640/DSC_0097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We've actually used the orbital shaker to mix up test samples. If it is something like lime juice the result is almost instant and no shaking is really required. Soap can take a while to dissolve and provide a clear result. <br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio collective. You can follow the co-founders' work at <b><a href="http://www.raitongorganicsfarm.com/">Raitong Organics here</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.insightpact.com/hermeshuang">InsightPact here</a></b>, and the <b><a href="http://appliedtechnologylab.blogspot.com/">Applied Technology Lab blog here</a></b>. </i>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-24265831381645414512018-09-23T11:56:00.002+07:002018-09-23T11:56:58.407+07:00Protocol: Red Cabbage pH Testing <b>September 23, 2018 | F.Lab </b><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Testing pH is useful for a wide variety of reasons, from testing homemade soap to make sure it is balanced and not lye heavy, to optimizing hydroponics, to satisfying simple curiosity. Yet pH testing strips or meters might not be readily available. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One thing that usually is, however, is red cabbage. This simple protocol allows you to take red cabbage and use it to do basic and reliable pH testing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The protocol produces red cabbage juice, which can be used if kept refrigerated for at least 2-3 days afterward. Make sure you are using distilled water if you mix samples with the red cabbage juice, otherwise the pH of your water might interfere with the results. </div>
<div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 3pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 3pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>1. Materials </b></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c3b3163b-7fff-3d3b-0593-6089fc3eeb6c" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Red Cabbage (1 head)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blender (1)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Measuring Cup (1 cup)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mixing Bowl (1)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dropper/Straw (1, optional)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Distilled water (1 cup) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>2. Steps</b></span><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Chop up 3-4 leaves of red cabbage;</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Pour 1 cup of distilled water into the chopped cabbage;</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Blend the mixture;</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Strain the mixture and save the liquid and;</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Apply one drop of liquid on the test subject. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="312" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4cIPDIKjkh4Prt4_k9pnwHlr4uBrgAmovpkX3lV4LjMMh3r1T0ooZ7TstHlTDZy8OP2Cxl5rHJSzY9FQwIgvdJbAXtagOzRm-UB8rOxXW0Iwrmo7sPIZnkTmv26vJ1EpjY181AmP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="312" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tGhJCNuv_E3SqwUM-LZscrbK1qqi307O5NWUKuHHHwg_1ZgMCMxqeT8FaDUmDDMbiKuXNRjyYkhaLfbMYLkICvxm3_8KYu79R8dANSO7J9_fHheU4E7nb0K5oqmJxFEY8jGEdvaO" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="445" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/w7CUpkAVF22qBl7BB49Eb3Cax22MrK-zD4cOwzyq-8gux524s_TrTi8N84vFrXs0uAj8cxve8k1fYS01VbHADI7-4Vyg-C1DmMGbJ8OugdTfLIILG5R9A1OELlA-iyvn9srknbxe" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="312" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kmE1my9Majo_nLDBYVSNfvEO6UrdLZL5icfD4VxMTJQHfMws-F4dHSXXejne5LwLEbx1Ld48USVaU10PlNXRjo8P9r-wL4l1FeR2mImon2MtzqhD09Vj8tuD9Tyezmw7svqbCMwY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">3. pH Results</span></span></h1>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The liquid will appear purple before changing. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Red = strong acid (pH = 1) </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Purple = neutral (pH = 7)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yellow = strong alkali (pH = 12)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="180" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3MFD6u-dzVAez1pmJtt1M-RdWmtZv_PtGBcqKsnvlF2XNzDjQUX8KZDjwZ0IJTRlYJFUuHqUU7xN7RqExusGfDWA31idNKeya9fZHVYjestOFSNAs8Z3mqbxWllwJUrwU3I-thkq" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">4. Applications</span></span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Testing for Balanced Soap (Cold Process):</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Balanced soup should appear blue. A lye heavy soap bar of soap will appear green or yellow. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="445" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Jx5Tt7NzWaOe_jc4gVU6uiFSPmK3LMd_DodjPE9D4KYUkN1jnOSwfBx3W7PHNKdt8wzdE2yY0QsnkT0obJtcUMv6L90Rvu81LPA1_Z_G1JbqGmM7o2KAU18UZe6uKHofSlU9IgWs" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">5. Sources</span></span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Protocol via </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“How to Test pH with Red Cabbage”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><a href="https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/test-ph-red-cabbage/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/test-ph-red-cabbage/</span></a></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> pH scale image via </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Homemade pH Indicator – DIY Experiments”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://mylespower.co.uk/2012/04/06/homemade-ph-indicator/" style="text-decoration: none;">https://mylespower.co.uk/2012/04/06/homemade-ph-indicator/</a></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio lab. Check us out <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">on Facebook here</a></b>.</i></div>
</div>
Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-87132552045708023362018-06-24T17:42:00.000+07:002018-06-24T17:42:10.705+07:00New 3D Printed DIYbio Equipment <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">June 24, 2018 | F.Lab</span></b> Although we haven't updated this particular website in a while, we have been working on lots of DIYbio projects. F.Lab's various members have been busy with related projects in agriculture and education.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvO8429T7DdQEwltmYT00P9zlGX9uK_bDvBFG2eWyK852Xp0wAIXeeX3fgGRcLKoe84rBhRGSW43f_z0vmGuOn2G4EJoz31t_ZhC_UFVxAToYi92G1hl7X06aySuBhKDBlvOkofldmKDsC/s1600/ebc01ca92d123fac8b20fdec0c2b7cb0_preview_featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="628" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvO8429T7DdQEwltmYT00P9zlGX9uK_bDvBFG2eWyK852Xp0wAIXeeX3fgGRcLKoe84rBhRGSW43f_z0vmGuOn2G4EJoz31t_ZhC_UFVxAToYi92G1hl7X06aySuBhKDBlvOkofldmKDsC/s640/ebc01ca92d123fac8b20fdec0c2b7cb0_preview_featured.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />We've had a few major updates on DIYbio equipment too. This includes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Centrifuge V2.0: </b>This new design incorporates a DC motor, eliminating the need for an Arduino and electronic speed controller (ESC) for <b><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1175393">the original design's</a></b> drone motor. The new design uses a simple rocker switch to turn it on and off. It also has a micro-switch to cut power when the lid is opened. The lid has a piece of acrylic included to allow users to observe the centrifuge when in use. The files and instructions can be found <b><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2598206">here on Thingiverse</a></b>. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Orbital Shaker V1.0:</b> This is our first attempt at an orbital shaker and is the prototype we will be using to develop a much larger version, as well as other motion-controlled bioreactor designs. The shaker uses a stepper motor and an Arduino with speed controlled via a simple potentiometer. All the files and instructions (including videos) can be found <b><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2633507">on Thingiverse here</a></b>.<br /><br /><b>Magnetic Stirrer V1.0 Update:</b> Our original magnetic stirrer was based on a simple hack developed for a workshop to show people how easy it is to improvise lab equipment. We added some extra magnets to the fan and designed 3D printed stir bars to improve the stirring against drastically. The files can be found <b><a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2059400">here on Thingiverse</a></b>. </blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpGkYvVvWxph68ZsMY7pSFunTzpoUX3W-ZnTva7HFa_0lfBg9RaqQopr6dJeQ7G5RMXGCAWktFIUnsXicGF5HGzraZB7nXUKA8gqJQTZKb7In8YkAGElWycmVCUNK5kCoj9WI1aASEkrP/s1600/d12d8bf4be801a1a8e8c7b627d4357bf_preview_featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="628" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpGkYvVvWxph68ZsMY7pSFunTzpoUX3W-ZnTva7HFa_0lfBg9RaqQopr6dJeQ7G5RMXGCAWktFIUnsXicGF5HGzraZB7nXUKA8gqJQTZKb7In8YkAGElWycmVCUNK5kCoj9WI1aASEkrP/s640/d12d8bf4be801a1a8e8c7b627d4357bf_preview_featured.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
And we are working on several more improvements:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Orbital Shaker V2.0:</b> This will be a larger version of our original orbital shaker design. It will include adjustable bars to secure containers being stirred. It will also include the ability to add in a heated bed (See: Heating Module below). The coupler used to connect the motion control system to the stepper motor has also been improved and strengthened. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Centrifuge V2.1:</b> We've had some feedback regarding our centrifuge design. DC motors come in many sizes and shapes so we are going to update the design to include a removable bracket to allow people to design and implement their own brackets for whatever motors they have on hand. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Magnetic Stirrer V2.0:</b> This will be a much larger and more capable stirrer. It will be made with several applications in mind including the use of the heating module described below and to hold heavier vessels such as 6 liter bottles we use for hydroponic solution mixing. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Timing Module: </b>While it would be possible to design each piece of equipment to include a programmable timer, the entire point of this project is to keep costs down. So we're making a single module with multiple channels to hook up and program timing functions for multiple pieces of equipment at once. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Heating Module: </b>Justl ike with the timing module, we could create a heating module for the shaker, the stirrer, and upcoming rockers and reactors, but it would be easier to have a single module with multiple channels and heating beds. This means we need only one large power supply and one centralized programmer. </blockquote>
If you have any questions or would like to see more information about all of these projects, check out ProgressTH.org's <b><a href="http://www.progressth.org/search/label/DIYbio">DIYbio section</a></b>. ProgessTH is developing the hardware for F.Lab. You can also check out the new <b><a href="https://appliedtechnologylab.blogspot.com/">Applied Technology Lab blog</a></b> ProgressTH is using to document the technical development of their projects.<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio lab. Check us out <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration-line: none;">on Facebook here</a></b>.</i>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-22028604725350117342016-05-07T03:58:00.001+07:002016-05-07T04:02:15.558+07:00A 3D Printed Electrophoresis System <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">May 7, 2016 | F.Lab</span></b> With the centrifuge working well enough to extract DNA, and the stirrer waiting for a practical application to test it (stirring agar solution?), we've decided to move on to an electrophoresis system next to help visualize our DNA samples.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1lwNrTLTXZhL0ANiLKJrIHuENt9lHySoOpefSRTaKHIKUhYuRcYHzHF7UyAW7CWGiGZKfiaBQZvo_whPqXzRW7Rw3uJmrPm5mUelXPG0fStP98dO_FRLOscFK9zlY79G_t7XZdfqPK9l/s1600/IMG_20160502_122128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1lwNrTLTXZhL0ANiLKJrIHuENt9lHySoOpefSRTaKHIKUhYuRcYHzHF7UyAW7CWGiGZKfiaBQZvo_whPqXzRW7Rw3uJmrPm5mUelXPG0fStP98dO_FRLOscFK9zlY79G_t7XZdfqPK9l/s640/IMG_20160502_122128.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We're building a very compact, simple system to start with and learn from. From this, we can move on to bigger and better systems.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The characteristics of V.1 is an 51x86 mm footprint, a comb with 3 wells 3x5x8 mm (120 µL), and designed to work with 9v batteries connected in series and in turn connected to electrodes via a positive/negative alligator clip set. It also has a piece of acrylic placed between an upper and lower section of the lid, which are then friction welded together to hold the acrylic in place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-VkQnqFRF2DrcGxRzeeD-BtqHphBcJncSAiscs8SHmVCvQhfHtA8nVRsoN6X0VmMG8I6Nam82fhP9I5YXcUNSoICYx-f9SE0iH1hrFcuaom5MA8zwXoRKyEg1rU0S-Rw6Tz7Cpd4V8zr/s1600/Electrophoresis_V1_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-VkQnqFRF2DrcGxRzeeD-BtqHphBcJncSAiscs8SHmVCvQhfHtA8nVRsoN6X0VmMG8I6Nam82fhP9I5YXcUNSoICYx-f9SE0iH1hrFcuaom5MA8zwXoRKyEg1rU0S-Rw6Tz7Cpd4V8zr/s400/Electrophoresis_V1_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We've worked out a protocol to test it with since it's now printed out and the main chamber tested and passed as waterproof. The printing settings included a 2.4mm thick shell to ensure the water would not work itself between layers.<br />
<br />
In case you're curious, the DNA extraction protocol will be the same one we used previously when testing the centrifuge (<b><a href="http://f-labth.blogspot.com/2015/12/basic-dna-extraction-protocol.html">here</a></b>) and the rest is from this Science Creative Quarterly guide titled: <b><a href="http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-macgyver-project-genomic-dna-extraction-and-gel-electrophoresis-experiments-using-everyday-materials/">The MacGyver Project: Genomic DNA Extraction and Gel Electrophoresis Experiments Using Everyday Materials</a></b>. <br />
<br />
Being a DIYbio lab with no budget, you can see why that might appeal to us. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
If all goes well, we'll put up the files, the protocol, and everything else, both on Thingiverse and Instructables. And after we work out electrophoresis, we'll begin tackling a DIY PCR machine.<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio lab. Check us out <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">on Facebook here</a></b>. </i><br />
<br />Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-43641828739733671102016-01-15T14:47:00.005+07:002016-01-15T14:48:31.288+07:00F.Lab 3D Printed Lab Equipment Goes to Real Lab<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">January 15, 2016 | F.Lab</span></b> This week we got an opportunity to take part in a molecular biology workshop at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT). <b><a href="http://www.progressth.org/2016/01/workshop-opens-eyes-to.html">You can read more about the workshop itself here</a></b>. We also thought we'd bring along some of the lab equipment we developed, including 3D printed tube racks (some of which we gave to KMUTT as a token of appreciation) and our centrifuge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzgC_DfLIF8fh0Lh2kFHZr5abn1mkh6ySx0ayyg6tThJvyXDo-DYYh28f7BEgWrgpb9-2k_1DRAdN7PMbsYufK-cd8gJcSYWIwrHkZ4WkNM7kw_eaDLWlCux8t6qs_PO-Nc5NfYOgwWdJ/s1600/pubCAM04555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzgC_DfLIF8fh0Lh2kFHZr5abn1mkh6ySx0ayyg6tThJvyXDo-DYYh28f7BEgWrgpb9-2k_1DRAdN7PMbsYufK-cd8gJcSYWIwrHkZ4WkNM7kw_eaDLWlCux8t6qs_PO-Nc5NfYOgwWdJ/s640/pubCAM04555.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We even got to use the centrifuge briefly for one part of the protocol, along side other industry-made centrifuges so we could contrast and compare.<br />
<br />
For a real small group of DIYbiologists, our lab equipment would probably work great. For large groups participating in a workshop, probably not so great. So perhaps in the next iteration of our centrifuge, or perhaps a lower-cost workshop version, we will make it easier to use.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-guf5lofB578db0ahDSZGFTK0Q1CDgLLE7Z-fcbrbm_EabZLdD_smsqQv3dbylZiw5UjGxL5e4-fedpUNiwSDX6vKzfoMPJISpzhzPYnT2CFV5PXuQT-I15m6eBbG8f1ouKxRtexOe0Y/s1600/pubCAM04554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-guf5lofB578db0ahDSZGFTK0Q1CDgLLE7Z-fcbrbm_EabZLdD_smsqQv3dbylZiw5UjGxL5e4-fedpUNiwSDX6vKzfoMPJISpzhzPYnT2CFV5PXuQT-I15m6eBbG8f1ouKxRtexOe0Y/s640/pubCAM04554.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
That's the great thing about going to a real lab and working with real professionals who have a wealth of experience and knowledge. You can learn a lot about what professional equipment can do, what it cannot do, and ways to make comparable systems for a fraction of the cost. It looks like at least for our centrifuge, the closest system in the lab that it resembled was 5 times the cost, but had similar features. Of course, ours cannot match the larger centrifuges which include timing, g-force settings, and an array of rotors with much larger capacities.<br />
<br />
What's next? We got to use a PCR thermocycler and an electrophoresis system. We were in fact designing an electrophoresis system and planning on doing a PCR thermocycler afterwards. Now with this experience in hand, it will help us better inform our upcoming designs.<br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio lab. Check us out <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">on Facebook here</a></b>. </i>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-65215365080813381372016-01-15T14:37:00.003+07:002016-01-15T14:37:16.222+07:00Workshop Opens Eyes to the Complexity/Simplicity of Biotechnology<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.progressth.org/2016/01/workshop-opens-eyes-to.html">January 15, 2016 | ProgressTH</a></span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> Whether you realize it or not, biology itself is a sort of technology. It is a set of tools that have been naturally developed to allow organisms, including us, to survive in a variety of environments. Just like a high-tech solar panel provides our homes and places of work with electricity, our biology provides our bodies with energy, as well as defenses against a long list of threats big and small, and the ability to move through and appreciate the planet we live on.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBmrNmJbUvhE7QXLTTRP_9chDwXYELGqdJGriHvrh52OXVIwschKreZBEGEgkJP3m6oMnSDqzo6H9ibE2VTAKEFW6HO06q_uIdFIM-1ndp8bXEVWYr2CO2WRCckZUqzL-MGvWrQyaGmPx/s1600/pubCAM04558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #999999; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBmrNmJbUvhE7QXLTTRP_9chDwXYELGqdJGriHvrh52OXVIwschKreZBEGEgkJP3m6oMnSDqzo6H9ibE2VTAKEFW6HO06q_uIdFIM-1ndp8bXEVWYr2CO2WRCckZUqzL-MGvWrQyaGmPx/s640/pubCAM04558.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: left;"><i>Students learn how to load and program a thermocycler which heats and cools DNA, combining them with primers, to help isolate sequences of interest for further examination.</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Human beings have, over time, learned to use the tools of biology in a wide range of novel ways. Aspects of certain bacteria allow us to cut, copy, paste, amplify, and analyze DNA. This allows us to understand life on a molecular level, as well as re-engineer it in a variety of ways to serve our various needs.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">All of this is done in the molecular biology lab.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Enter the Lab...</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">At first glance, it is filled with a dizzying array of high-tech equipment, spinning, shaking, freezing, heating, pressurizing, electrifying, and illuminating test samples. The whirling of servos and the blinking of lights, along with touch screens and and the jet-like sound of spinning centrifuges might invoke feelings of a science fiction movie. It can seem intimidating, but if you have a good teacher, virtually anyone can learn to use these tools, and they can do so in a single day.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGPVhoAisyjl9o0gGqojansg0uuJIQ9IYGwFmsFUVtnme1NjyWQ2Yey5kd1swFwln0_RkN3nWG5wOHGMaHJU7xx_dlvjae6Gt4Rtj0XBHHor9ZlzZfNVYzhulN5LQzg9dnV4k7yoq-Ek9/s1600/pubCAM04622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #999999; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGPVhoAisyjl9o0gGqojansg0uuJIQ9IYGwFmsFUVtnme1NjyWQ2Yey5kd1swFwln0_RkN3nWG5wOHGMaHJU7xx_dlvjae6Gt4Rtj0XBHHor9ZlzZfNVYzhulN5LQzg9dnV4k7yoq-Ek9/s640/pubCAM04622.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: left;"><i>KMUTT senior students and Dr. Dujduan Waraho look at the results from one of the electrophoresis gel runs. By looking at the bands produced during the runs, students were able to learn more about their blood types.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">That was the point of a recent workshop conducted at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi by Dr. Dujduan Waraho. The workshop was conceived as part of a group of KMUTT students for their senior project. They want high school students to be able to take a 1 day workshop and get hands-on experience using the tools used in the field of biotechnology. So this workshop was basically an attempt to work out the details for the final workshop that will be used to teach high school students.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">The seniors themselves are studying chemical engineering, so for them, this initial workshop was as much a lesson to them, as their finished senior project will be to local high school students.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">We were lucky enough to be invited to take part in the workshop as well. We have followed </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="http://www.progressth.org/2015/02/do-it-yourself-biology-comes-to-thailand.html" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">KMUTT's interest in teaching others</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> about biotech for some time.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">The Workshop... </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqsl3IoNESSJRYpf0df1wGZSO1BH3DE7CgSDlX_ghXVqiGKjm5nS2vousOJ0UW1xNa46HNJH3N6jNfd6Xy-g1Pbrbbcyi01ht4j-6LTy6MH_e15Jl6xCLNRt9j8l9KE1q1YMxG4MV0vtS/s1600/pubCAM04605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #999999; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqsl3IoNESSJRYpf0df1wGZSO1BH3DE7CgSDlX_ghXVqiGKjm5nS2vousOJ0UW1xNa46HNJH3N6jNfd6Xy-g1Pbrbbcyi01ht4j-6LTy6MH_e15Jl6xCLNRt9j8l9KE1q1YMxG4MV0vtS/s640/pubCAM04605.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px;"><i>Dr. Dujduan Waraho prepares an electrophoresis gel before running our samples. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">The workshop was built up around trying to discover our blood type without needing to draw blood using a needle. This was accomplished by taking DNA samples from a simple saltwater mouth rinse to collect cells from our inner cheeks. The DNA was then spun in centrifuges, cut by primers through a process called thermocycling to isolate the areas that would indicate blood type, then run on a gel using electricity to separate DNA segments by their lengths. Depending on your blood type, the bands that would appear in the gel would come out differently. At least one student's results came out accurately.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Throughout the 2-day workshop, we learned not only what we could do next time for more reliable and accurate results, but also how to make the entire process more efficient and less time consuming.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Not As Hard As It Looks... </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">We all already knew our blood types, but the point of the workshop was to give us an introduction into using the tools found in a modern molecular biology lab. These are the same tools being used to conduct cutting edge genetic research on humans and other organisms, as well as the same tools used to perform genetic engineering, gene therapy, forensics, and disease detection.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #666666; float: left; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin-right: 1em; padding: 5px; position: relative;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiptAgHvUbYsv6Vtw2m4wSYT1G_Xnm5kWXFao9xGebgYpI_BrwmDkmJ-Dd83OOxVlJ3Fc3Oinm70w60psp_bh02Ky4OwgD8MZREIHCRGHtz3kcWNxQ6S17yvVL9G7pmpHm70xnzh6VaAFD/s1600/pubCAM04610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #999999; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiptAgHvUbYsv6Vtw2m4wSYT1G_Xnm5kWXFao9xGebgYpI_BrwmDkmJ-Dd83OOxVlJ3Fc3Oinm70w60psp_bh02Ky4OwgD8MZREIHCRGHtz3kcWNxQ6S17yvVL9G7pmpHm70xnzh6VaAFD/s400/pubCAM04610.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: center;"><i>Loading electrophoresis wells.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">While it takes practice and experience to use these tools effectively, with Dr. Dujduan Waraho's expert instruction, she proved that anyone can begin using them slowly, surely, and effectively, even on the first day. We all brought an interest in biology with us to the workshop, and at the end of it, we walked away with a practical, working knowledge of the tools used to explore and leverage biology for our own best interests.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Next Steps... </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">From here, the small team of KMUTT students will refine the protocol to make it easier and quicker for their own workshop they plan on running with high school students.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">For us, we plan on bringing the knowledge we acquired back to</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">Thailand's first community lab, F.Lab</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">, and use it to help inform the design of our community space, and to help organize future workshops to spread an interest in biotechology among regular people. F.Lab seeks to give people the tools they need to become participants and producers rather than mere spectators and consumers in this increasingly important field of technology. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">F.Lab's first project will be DNA barcoding important organic crops for farmers in Southeast Asia. It will be the beginning of a more accurate and more decentralized means of quality control. When you buy rice from a Thai farmer who has DNA barcoded their rice, you will know exactly what you are putting on your plate. Combined with an opensource auditing system being developed by other F.Lab members, Thailand's organic scene will become more transparent and dependable than ever.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Working in a real lab also gives us insight into various kinds of lab equipment. F.Lab will also feature opensource DIYbio lab equipment already being developed (and in fact, already brought to and tested during the workshop at KMUTT). Seeing and working with industry equipment helps better inform the design of their opensource alternatives.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNDAv3DL_XGMv1zvInXuKqKeyTn1PsmxSzF1mhNhzJOf_xSUMiDcbdCOtt-eKQ5dMXsNoae8qtCIBjHk6nAsjjT5OgfNQO3U6rtGL1n3C653TBAKwNPrC4fjknuxV0CZO907EgVUDS6xE/s1600/pubCAM04555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #999999; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNDAv3DL_XGMv1zvInXuKqKeyTn1PsmxSzF1mhNhzJOf_xSUMiDcbdCOtt-eKQ5dMXsNoae8qtCIBjHk6nAsjjT5OgfNQO3U6rtGL1n3C653TBAKwNPrC4fjknuxV0CZO907EgVUDS6xE/s640/pubCAM04555.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: left;"><i>F.lab's opensource 3D printed mini-centrifuge at KMUTT's molecular biology lab. It was even used during a 'quick spin' while following the protocols. Working with real professionals in a real lab gives DIYbio enthusiasts inspiration to take their designs and ideas to the next level. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">If successful, both the workshops being designed and test-ran at KMUTT, and the progress being made at F.Lab, will make the field of biotechnology more accessible to anyone interested. When the tools and techniques of biotechnology are more accessible, and the practical applications more easily understood by regular people, personal biotechnology is predicted to become as big as 3D printing and before that, IT has become. If you are interested now in biotechnology, </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="http://diybio.org/local/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">look for a DIYbio community lab near you</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">, or get involved at your local university and see about founding your own lab yourself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Follow <b><a href="http://www.progressth.org/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">ProgressTH.org</a></b> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ProgressTH" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><b>Facebook here</b></a> or on <a href="https://twitter.com/progressth" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><b>Twitter here</b></a>. </i>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-82426114116637062702015-12-18T17:57:00.001+07:002015-12-18T17:57:13.915+07:00What is Do-It-Yourself Biology?<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.progressth.org/2015/12/what-is-do-it-yourself-biology.html">December 18, 2015 | ProgressTH</a></span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">Talk of DNA and biotechnology generally conjures up images of movie monsters or talk of large agricultural companies that use genetic engineering to modify organisms (GMOs). And for the longest time to ordinary people, biotechnology really was something they could only see in fiction or in practice in the hands of large, well-funded corporations and institutions. </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEjAwUBA9IL-WAKqgxQ3hoLTKdNuJ-rVRvAPyMN0H15jc0zQsoi6IsSA5QUzklvIkOapKC6WNtpJXEZhkqpEcqO0NiujAehDuGXdDAD-OSbDdZPPvrrtIpsG2MGfpCVy_EN7CzoL3qYn-/s1600/pub_DNA_Extraction_Flab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #999999; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEjAwUBA9IL-WAKqgxQ3hoLTKdNuJ-rVRvAPyMN0H15jc0zQsoi6IsSA5QUzklvIkOapKC6WNtpJXEZhkqpEcqO0NiujAehDuGXdDAD-OSbDdZPPvrrtIpsG2MGfpCVy_EN7CzoL3qYn-/s640/pub_DNA_Extraction_Flab.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.56px; text-align: left;"><i>F.Lab in Bangkok, Thailand is seeking to use DNA barcoding to identify, protect, and promote organic varieties of rice in Thailand. It uses its own DIY lab equipment 3D printed and assembled at local makerspace, Maker Zoo. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">But like computers, which also started out as an inaccessible curiosity to regular people, biotechnology is finally making its way into the hands of a much larger community.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Enter DIYbio </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">That's where the DIYbio movement comes in. DIYbio is the local use of the tools and techniques of biotechnology by regular people who may not be trained scientists, but have an interest in biotechnology nonetheless.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a>In the early days of the personal computer, not only did grassroots hands-on communities working with IT help make the technology more accessible to regular people, they in fact helped drive the technology by leaps and bounds never possible among the universities, corporations, and governments monopolizing computers at that time.<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Likewise, biotech among the DIYbio community is helping inform regular people about what this technology can and cannot do, and providing an increasing number of tools for the public to use to inquire into and manipulate the world of biology. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Biotechnology, like computers, is powerful. Fears that it can be abused are not unfounded. However, just like with computers, it seems the more people that have access to such technology, the more people that are informed and prepared to meet the challenges of its inevitable abuse. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">What Can DIYbio Do? </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">For now, DIYbio serves as a starting point for people interested in biology, genetics, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and using genetics to examine and better understand the living world around them. At most DIYbio community labs, the tools to genetically identify organic material are available. With this, communities can spot check the quality of food they eat or species living in and around their communities.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Through a process called "DNA barcoding," species can be identified quickly and cheaply. The DNA Learning Center in New York, USA, has done several DNA barcoding projects with schools in the New York City area. The projects give a small sample of the potential DNA barcoding has. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqlyagySU_g" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">In the future, as more tools become available to community labs, tracking diseases, managing natural resources, and even applications regarding human health may come within reach. By getting involved today, we ensure our communities build a strong foundation to leverage this technology as it becomes increasingly more available, and more powerful. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Where Can you Go to Get Into DIYbio?</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Finding a DIYbio lab couldn't be easier! DIYbio.org has </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="http://diybio.org/local/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">a global list of labs</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> to serve as a starting point. Using your favorite Internet search engine, you can simply type in your general location and "DIYbio" and you can probably find a lab that way as well.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">And if you don't have a lab, there are plenty of resources available online to help you start one of your own. There are collections </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/F_Lab_TH/designs" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">of DIYbio equipment</a> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">(</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="http://www.gaudi.ch/GaudiLabs/?page_id=2" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">and here</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">) that you can download the files and instructions to build for free, and at your local makerspace, fabricate your own lab yourself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Makerspaces and community labs actually share a lot in common, and so it is no surprise that many labs around the world got their start in a makerspace. DIYbio lab GenSpace started in NYC Resistor, the same makerspace that the MakerBot 3D printer was first developed in. Bangkok-based </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">F.Lab</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;"> got its start in Maker Zoo, a nearby makerspace. Gaudi Labs in Switzerland fabricated much of its equipment in an MIT-affiliated FabLab.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">The bottom line is biotechnology is powerful, and can be a bit scary. But the scariest thing of all is letting a small group of people who do not share your same best interests completely monopolize it and use it for their own ends. By opening this technology up to everyone, the playing field is leveled, and the rest of us will finally have a chance to not only have a say, but also have a go at directing the future of this powerful technology.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">Follow ProgressTH.org on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ProgressTH" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><b>Facebook here</b></a> or on <a href="https://twitter.com/progressth" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><b>Twitter here</b></a>. </i>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3793914518052814808.post-56226973121573928122015-12-05T08:23:00.000+07:002015-12-05T08:23:11.863+07:00Basic DNA Extraction Protocol <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">December 5, 2015 | F.Lab</span></b> Instructables features a basic DNA extraction protocol titled <i><b><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/5-minute-DNA-Extraction-in-a-Shot-Glass/">5 Minute DNA Extraction in a Shot Glass</a></b></i> (by user macowell). It claims to create a drinkable shot that contains your own DNA extracted from your saliva. It is highly recommended that you <u>do not</u> drink such a shot containing dish soap, but it is still a quick way to extract and see DNA.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24xxtfVf1cyfkHb3lVVyUZzRP9Y2YKlit0C-ZJxmH9D4qadu6uszpIXim6g0lSQplkqKHSU9bxgJjcxh2j1w-6smruvYtT5L3BW4LJCaW5YaGfcgwxRvZ8D1RMieZcHOKJHwzyBG90maw/s1600/pubCAM04369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24xxtfVf1cyfkHb3lVVyUZzRP9Y2YKlit0C-ZJxmH9D4qadu6uszpIXim6g0lSQplkqKHSU9bxgJjcxh2j1w-6smruvYtT5L3BW4LJCaW5YaGfcgwxRvZ8D1RMieZcHOKJHwzyBG90maw/s640/pubCAM04369.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><br />We also employed a few tips from <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMgkMroXD5U">this online video</a></b> courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor's DNA Learning Center. If you've never tried anything like this before or would like to know more about DNA barcoding, this is an excellent video.<br /><br />We've been using this with a slight modification. Instead of using over-proof rum, we used rubbing alcohol but because of this, <b><u>now you really can NOT consume the DNA! </u></b><br /><b></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Introduction </b><br />
<br />
This DNA extraction protocol is mainly for demonstrative purposes only. It allows you to extract and visualize the DNA from an organism of choice. You can practice methods of moving liquids and get a feel for what sort of equipment you might want in the future to do this.<br />
<br />
Despite the Instructable it is based on featuring a 'drinkable shot,' under <b><u>no</u></b> circumstances should you consume the results of this protocol! Rubbing alcohol is poisonous and dangerous if consumed.<br /><br /><b>Materials + Equipment </b><br />
<br />
Centrifuge (optional/see here)<br />
Shot glass or glass container of similar size<br />
Table salt<br />
Dish soap (containing sodium laurel sulfate in its ingredients)<br />
Ice cold rubbing alcohol (70%-90% isopropanol will not freeze if you put it in your typical home freezer -- but please make sure it is clearly labeled)<br />
Straw (ad hoc pipette)<br /><br /><b>Step 1</b><br />
<br />
Your sample needs to be in liquid form. It is essential that if you are examining a plant or other solid biological sample (sample sizes should be no larger than the size of a pencil eraser) that the cells be sufficiently broken up to release the DNA within. Our rice sample needed to be crushed with a pestle. Distilled water (or if it is just for illustrative purposes, any source of water) must be added to just cover the sample.<br /><br /><b>Step 2</b><br /><br />Add 2-3 drops of dish soap<br />
<br />
<b>Step 3</b><br /><br />Add a "pinch" of table salt.<br /><br /><b>Step 4</b><br /><br />Add a thin layer of rubbing alcohol (3-4 drops) to the surface.<br /><br />In this step you should see the DNA. It will appear white and cloudy.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 5 (optional)</b><br /><br />Draw off the supernatant (the top layer of liquid above any solid material you may have) into a separate container. The extracted DNA will be included in this liquid and depending on how well your extraction went you may have quite a bit in there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG5j_3OpQo2ZU0Kb2sEg75eOMT2GrCwE8UT6sczDmtaYUDT757MRfO2OSA5ah8q0hvzwwsuQE2W78wDbuyc8pk0D0ZKugpvSEFbhyphenhyphencRB5dkB2LEJmBBjwGq8uu-B68KtUoZjPApAg1oO5/s1600/pubCAM04368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG5j_3OpQo2ZU0Kb2sEg75eOMT2GrCwE8UT6sczDmtaYUDT757MRfO2OSA5ah8q0hvzwwsuQE2W78wDbuyc8pk0D0ZKugpvSEFbhyphenhyphencRB5dkB2LEJmBBjwGq8uu-B68KtUoZjPApAg1oO5/s640/pubCAM04368.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><br /><b>Step 6 (optional) </b><br /><br />Spin down the supernatant using a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube (with snap cap). You can spin it on high for about 1 minute. When done, you should see a highly concentrated "pellet" at the bottom of an otherwise clear liquid. That is the DNA.<br />
<br />
<i>F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio lab. Check us out <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FLabDIYbioThailand/">on Facebook here</a></b>. </i>Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05118299751576227362noreply@blogger.com0