DIY Biotech Hacker Space Opens in NYC
On the top floor of an old bank converted into an artist collective, just past prop design for Bjork's next music video, the do-it-yourself biotechnology revolution has begun.
A cadre of science entrepreneurs recently opened Genspace, the world's first government-compliant community biotech laboratory. The bedroom-sized facility was two years in the making and, for a $100-per-month membership, anyone can use the space for whatever experiments they dream up.
"If you work in a university lab, you have to do what your adviser tells you to do," said Genspace co-founder Dan Gruskhkin, a freelance journalist and self-described science enthusiast. "Here, you work under mentors and can do things you’re interested in immediately." The small space is made of found parts. A sliding patio door, Plexiglas panels and old wire screens enclose the lab, and stainless-steel restaurant tables serve as lab benches.
