Hacking the genome: how does it work, and should we? (MCH2022)

Building on the very well attended DNA presentations ("DNA: The Code Of Life") at SHA2017, this talk will cover: * A brief recap what DNA is and how it works * It is surprisingly digital! * How reading DNA is within 'pro-sumer' reach now * (I might bring a live demo for after the talk) * An overview of DNA editing technologies (offline, and online: on living organisms) * Including the famous CRISPR-CAS, but also newer variants * How does such editing actually work in a lab? * The surprising lack of a definitive link between most DNA mutations and any effect * Could you hack your DNA? Will people start doing this? * Should we try to stop them? * Wild speculation on what this might mean for the future The goal of this presentation is to provide real non-hyped information on what DNA editing is and what it might achieve. And since we are hackers, I hope to explain how a hackerspace could start reading DNA right now with USB-powered hardware. And finally, since no hacker can resist tinkering: could you hack your own genome, or your cat's, or improve on your favorite plant? Building on the very well attended DNA presentations ("DNA: The Code Of Life") at SHA2017, this talk will cover: * A brief recap what DNA is and how it works * It is surprisingly digital! * How reading DNA is within 'pro-sumer' reach now * (I might bring a live demo for after the talk) * An overview of DNA editing technologies (offline, and online: on living organisms) * Including the famous CRISPR-CAS, but also newer variants * How does such editing actually work in a lab? * The surprising lack of a definitive link between most DNA mutations and any effect * Could you hack your DNA? Will people start doing this? * Should we try to stop them? * Wild speculation on what this might mean for the future The goal of this presentation is to provide real non-hyped information on what DNA editing is and what it might achieve. And since we are hackers, I hope to explain how a hackerspace could start reading DNA right now with USB-powered hardware. And finally, since no hacker can resist tinkering: could you hack your own genome, or your cat's, or improve on your favorite plant? about this event: https://program.mch2022.org/mch2022/talk/Y898KK/