Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76Young scientists are pushing the boundaries of a new technology that is revolutionizing the field of genomics. Marc Zienkiewicz JOSIAH ZAYNER is taking science out of the lab and into the kitchen, allowing people to better explore a new genom- ics technology called CRISPR that is revolutionizing plant breed- ing and agriculture. Zayner is a 35-year-old former NASA biophysicist and “bio- hacker” with a Ph.D from the University of Chicago. His scientific background is extensive, but Zayner recently made headlines with his crowdfunded campaign to provide genetic engineering CRISPR kits to the general public. “Anyone can use these kits — they contain everything you need and no extra equipment is required, even if you have had zero experience with biotechnology,” he says. “I believe science should be democratized so everyone has access.” His Indiegogo campaign has been a massive success. Since December of 2015 he’s raised over $71,000 — three times his original goal. The kits allow anyone with interest to genetically modify yeast and bacteria in their own home. The kits allow the user to turn yeast red and make bacteria survive on special growth media when it normally would not. But Zayner’s do-it-yourself CRISPR project has the potential to take the DIY genomics concept much further than the kitchen table. Zayner, who spoke at Bayer’s 2016 Agvocacy Forum in New Orleans in March, believes his concept of bringing genetic engineering abilities to the general public could revolutionize plant breeding and farming. He also runs a small business called The ODIN, providing lab supplies at a far lower cost than normal in an effort to “make sci- ence and technology research more accessible.” He notes that the biohacking movement — in which people pursue biology and life science with tools equivalent to those of professional labs — has already begun working with plants and seeds. His DIY CRISPR concept could eventually change the very concept of plant breeding. Doing Cool Things with CRISPR 20 / SEEDWORLD.COM SEPTEMBER 2016