Comments and Questions for DIYbio. Presentation from DIYbio meet-up Vienna Oct. 2014, post Biofiction film festival. About: DIYbio, sociology, science, citizen science, design, living architecture, interaction design, design thinking.

1. Presented at:
* DIYBIO meetup in Vienna after Biofiction 2014-10-27
By:
Martin Malthe Borch
@MMBorch
Mmborch.dk
Comments and Questions for
DIYbio & Citizen Science
Collected from a diybio workshop at the SNET conference 2014
(The Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies)

2. Outline
About Me
Comments from SNET
DIYbio & Design
Living design & Architecture

3. About Me
My training and diybio projects

4. M.Sc.Biological Engineering
Technical University of Denmark, DTU

5. Master in Interaction Design
Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, CIID

6. Researcher: Interaction Design, Art & Biotechnology
IT-University of Copenhagen, Communication, Games & Interaction Design

7. …alternatives to University Science & Research

8. Learn and do science in the same way you
learn and play in open passion driven
associations.
-- OPEN to everyone, regardless of your occupation..
What if you could...
Creative and fun learning

9. Designing biotechnological tools for use in
everyday life
Biotech brought out of labs to solve everyday challenges and problems

10. @Biologigaragen.org
#DIYbio
#OpenAccess
#OpenScience

11. Get your hands on science once a month
Biologigaragen.org
Group Experiment Nights

12. Open Access Microbes
Kulturkollektionen

14. SNET
Workshop about antibiotics and horisontal gene transfer
+
Debate session about diybio and the experiences gained in the workshop.

15. Workshop at SNET
In collaboration with Rüdiger Trojok, Nora Vaage & Ana M. Delgado

16. SNET
Questions and comments from participants:
Amoug them many Scientist and practitioners in STS (Science and Technology Studies)
and TA (Technology Assessment)

17. “ Quotes or written comments from workshop and panel discussion participants” [sic]
Form
Personal reflections, comments and conclusions

18. “Participating in this workshop session gave a firm confirmation “you can
do it outside institutions”, there are other methods.“ [sic]
“I didn’t know about diybio or biohacking. After this workshop and
presentation, I know what it is about and I can discuss it”
Successful Approach

19. “ How do you interpret the precautionary principle?”
“ Science and tech are a dynamic process, we need to deal with that. But we have to install
systems or tools or simply pay attention to the early warnings, and take them serious, the real
damage is when the early warning is ignored, eg agent orange, DDT and others. This includes
transparency, participation and democratization. ”
“ The Unintended consequences are always the worst and the longest lasting. ”
“ Citizenship comes with duties. ”
“ How do you deal with Responsiblity ? ”
Responsibility
Comments on DIYBIO
* Good idea to always reference our earlier safety discussion and the code of ethics
* Let’s answer these questions together…

20. License, Rules & Guidelines
* Should we develop and share guidelines and systems for licenses ?
“ You say that there should be more freedom, without licenses and regulations, but at the
same time you use your own academic career or training as a license to argue that you
should be able to do this and work on this, isn’t that a paradox or contradiction? ”
“ I am worried for you and your community. the community might need rules or
guidelines, problems will arise, you need rules. ”
“ For a car the citizen needs a license, do we need a diy-bio license? A crash
course/induction as requirement for use? Why/why not? ”
“ Are you prepared to pay for damages in case of accidents ? e.g. the neighbour child
plays with samples and get sick. ”

21. Inclusivity and Welcoming Critique
* Include the TA community
* Don’t make the same mistakes as “university experts”
“ TA [technology assessment] are shifting to take more part , and be participatory. They
try to introduce framing and language, add to the debate and learn hands-on ”
“ It is difficult to mobilize people or the general public when they deliberately have been
excluded from earlier science or tech discussions because the ‘experts’ want to be the
‘experts’ “

22. “ I trust a lot more an open participatory and transparent community than I trust government
regulators, but only if they have common values that go beyond the technology and development
itself. The priority should always be your neighbour and the society, not the technology, if not it’s
not possible to keep good safe and ethical practice when they scale. ”
“ Why did you skip the Code of ethics ? that was really essential. ”
Ethics & Values
* Present or mention the code of ethics. It’s always relevant, even though you/we
think that we already had that discussion.

23. Draft DIYbio Code of Ethics from European Congress
DIYbio community meeting in London May 2011, diybio.org/codes
Transparency Emphasize transparency and the sharing of ideas, knowledge, data and results.
Safety Adopt safe practices.
Open Access Promote citizen science and decentralized access to biotechnology.
Education Help educate the public about biotechnology, its benefits and implications.
Modesty Know you don’t know everything.
Community Carefully listen to any concerns and questions and respond honestly.
Peaceful Purposes Biotechnology must only be used for peaceful purposes.
Respect Respect humans and all living systems.
Responsibility Recognize the complexity and dynamics of living systems and our responsibility towards them.
Accountability Remain accountable for your actions and for upholding this code.

24. “ What’s the aim of DIYbio ? ”
“ so many questions are left open, what about government interest, FBI, regulation ? ”
“ Does citizen science also equal better science ? ”
“ Autonomy vs. Community - what’s your practices, values and why ”
“ What are the aims, goals & objectives of the movement. ”
Other Questions

25. * We should try to answer all these questions and comments together, globally and in EU-
context.
* Always present the code of Ethics. It’s always relevant
* Include the experts
* Should we develop a diybio-license? What is good systems & guidelines?
What happens in the lab…
* Be Humble, you are dealing with nature and people and everybody's future
Summary

26. Design
My Projects
Aesthetics
Users
DIY

27. My Projects

28. Exhibition at the Medical Museion of Copenhagen
A collaboration between Martin Malthe Borch,
Rüdiger Trojok & Medical Museion
BioHacking: Do-It-Yourself

29. Art Science Collaboration
IT University of Copenhagen
In collaboration with Laura Beloff
A Bioreactor

30. Biostrike !
A diybio/citizen science project to find new antibiotics
A Collaboration with Pieter Van Boheemen, Waag.
http://is.gd/Biostrike

31. http://is.gd/Biostrike

32. Biostrike !
A diybio/citizen science experimental competition to find new antibiotics
http://is.gd/Biostrike
Medico-bio project.
Startet in Copenhagen by Malthe & Pieter.
International open collaboration and all over the
world.
Worrkshops in Tel Aviv, Singapore,
Educate - Tech Science and discuss methods currently
used.
Baessy
Open source tools & assays for citizen science.
http://biologigaragen.org/baessy/
Open Source Ethanol sensing fermentor.
A Collaboration between an industrial researcher
and a DIYbio space.
http://biologigaragen.org/baessy

34. Kopenlab
Citizen Science Festival as part of Science in the
city during ESOF2014
Videos, blogs, pictures @ www.kopenlab.dk

35. Kopenlab.dk

36. Comments on design and aesthetics of DIYbio
My comments on other projects

39. Bentolab
Pay attention to the details. Who are you designing for? Hackers build it them
selves. Who’s your user and what are the user scenarios?
* Why is it orange ? Is it dangerous ?
* Why is it built together and not in separate parts ? for flexibility ? cleaning ?
* Where do you imagine that it will be used, by whom, and how ?
http://www.bento.bio/

40. Who Are The Users Of DIYbio?
Who do you imagine your costomer is and who is actually your “customer”:
• Funding agencies
• Fellow biohackers
• Politicians
• Parents
• Urban Gardening Communities
• Home Brewers
• Fermentation Enthusiasts
• Urban Environment and indoor climate enthusiasts schools ect.

41. A Greater Movement
Be aware of everything that happened before DIYbio…

42. Biodesign
My Past, Current & Future Research
- Living Architecture & Living Design

43. Næringsbiblioteket / The Resource Library
- The future energy producing waste water treatment plant
1st Prize Winner in collaboration with GXN-3XN Architects. Århusvand Idea Competition
Integrating Biotechnology and Architecture

44. Mallorca* VERD
An architectural sketch project GXN-3XN
Integrating living biology, water recirculation and biological wastewater
treatment in the design of a hotel and conference center in Mallorca, Spain.

45. Art Science Collaboration
IT-University of Copenhagen
In Collaboration with Laura Beloff
A Bioreactor

46. An Interactive Art-Science Installation
A unisex urinal that gives information about your body
and generates power from your pee
With interaction designer Cristina Muñoz
www.urinejourney.com
Urine Journey