[ExI] Fwd: DIY DNA synthesis

[Dan]

--- On Thu, 4/16/09, Bryan Bishop <kanzure at gmail.com> wrote:
> Look up "BioWeatherMap".
> 
> http://bioweathermap.org/
> 
> "Ever wonder how the microbial communities living on
> cross-walk
> buttons in Boston compare to those in San Francisco, or
> Manhattan, or
> the cross-walk nearest your home? We're going to find out
> and you can
> get involved. Meet up at points around the city, swab
> crosswalk
> buttons with Q-tips, and bring the samples back to a
> central location.
> The samples will be sent for DNA sequencing. A few weeks
> later,
> receive analysis results and learn about the microbes that
> were living
> on the crosswalk button they swabbed. The data will be
> published on a
> map, so results for different crosswalk buttons can be
> compared."

Three comments:

1.  Neat.

2.  I wonder if they can get discounted rates because of the many swabbings.

3.  I'd like to see this done regularly -- maybe once a month -- and in many more locations.  I'm sure, if it's successful and can be done on the cheap, it'll be done in more places and more frequently eventually.

Regards,

Dan