Mail-Order CRISPR Kits Allow Anyone to Hack DNA

scientificamerican.com

27 points·jonbaer··8 comments

"Hack" DNA. This kit is nice if you want some hands on molecular biology experience but really boring as far as what you'll do; mix some liquid in tubes and then watch ecoli grow on a plate.

CRISPR is really overhyped, there are a lot of problems with it still. No one will be hacking human embryos in their garage anytime soon.

Not with THAT attitude!

So, once you do hack your molecule in the garage, how hard is it to get it back into any living organism at all?

This could be really useful. In fact my brother could use some extra fingers. I guess I would just have to ladle some of this on his salad and wait for the digits to erupt?

My 10y0 daughter wants to get this.

She is busy dreaming up genetic experiments, mostly inserting features of one organism in another, and has a theory that there will be a future movement like the Amish that will have rules as to what technology they will use, and which they will forbid. Of course she thinks CRISPR will be one of the things allowed.

How long until people are making bathtub crystal meth with GM yeast?

While a talented lab might be able to make yeast produce ephedrine (since Ephedra sp. do that naturally - no idea how complex that is, though, I am not biochemist), I don't think there are any organisms that synthesize methamphetamine directly...

Nothing about this idea is unrealistic.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2015/09/15/modifie...

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