Main Page

Welcome to the wiki of the Hackuarium association, an open public lab, which wishes to democratize research!

At Hackuarium, we want to bring biology (and biologists) to the world, and the real world back to biology. Our laboratory is an excuse to meet and discuss, build and develop ideas in a neutral, open, noncompetitive and not-for-profit environment.

This page was launched during our 1st Ever Hackuarium Wiki Sprint that took place on 7 December 2014. As you might notice quickly, almost everything here is work-in-progress, even though this adventure has already been going on over 7 years!
(Hackuarium's official 'birthday' btw is 13Aug2014.)

Scroll down and find out what this is all about!

Cliquez ici pour accéder à la version française de ce wiki.

BIG NEWS:
We will celebrate 7 years of Hackuarium, with a special #OH event on 6oct!
Hope to see you there!

Open Science and Participatory Research are hot!
Nonetheless,
Make the World more Safe by getting Vaccinated, if you haven't yet.
To avoid getting or spreading around Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS CoV-2:
1) Wash hands, especially before you touch your face.
2) Wear a mask when you can't keep physically distant from others.
3) Be responsible about trace-ability and keeping quarantine if you are in contact with anyone who has tested positive for the virus.

Hackuarium can be found at Route de Crochy 20, 1024 Ecublens
With its P1 lab on the southern side with three sets of windows, and the 'inner lab' for fluorescence, bioilluminescence, and some chemistry, Hackuarium is well set up. The context of the cooperative we formed, esp with members of Octanis and Polymeka (plus a few startups*), means possibilities for exploring and making in this peaceful corner of Ecublens are virtually endless!

TO NOTE:
1) This fabulous location, by the Crochy metro stop, even, is unfortunately already destined for destruction, so we are on the look out for a new space!
*** (Please pass on any leads you might have in this regard.)
2) This wiki page is currently - June 2020 - being edited for the first time since dec2019! looking forward to members adding some more info for 2020.
3) Have a look at our Activity Report 2021
Everyone is welcome to our weekly Open Hackuarium meetings, continuing every Wednesday (still possibly virtually, in case of covid-19 incidence) 20:00-22:00 (contact us to rsvp and potentially for the zoom link at 'hello'(at)hackuarium (dot)ch *)

Support for our aims to democratise science can come in many forms, but active membership is of course the most fun for 'do-it-together' research...
Check out what we do, maybe join in for a workshop, and perhaps even come and join us!

Check the list below for other upcoming events.

Hackuarium Poster (Not-for-printing version!!! see Section 7.9 Visual Identity for full size printing version)

What is DIYbio?

DIYbio (Do-It-Yourself biology) is a movement that wants to free the practice of biological research and innovation from the institutional and industrial laboratories. Pursued both by amateurs and professional biologists, DIYbio is developing low-cost and low-tech solutions to problems identified by the community.

The movement is characterised by an extremely diverse set of practices and participants. Some call themselves 'biohackers', in reference to the hacker culture. The quick solution (even if unconventional) is what is meant by hacks...

DIYbio.org and DIYbio.eu are the portals of the international and european communities, respectively.

For more information, visit the Wikipedia page dedicated to DIYbio.

We actually believe more and more in doing DIT (Do-It-Together) Research, not just 'DIYbio,' as this seems much better for Open Science, and reflects better the scope of the trans-disciplinary projects we do (often not only biology). Another term people like to use is DIWO (Do It With Others)!

What is Hackuarium?

Hackuarium is a not-for-profit association aiming to democratise science through public engagement.

Our laboratories in Ecublens (Switzerland) are open to anyone sharing the values of the association and dedicated to follow the DIYbio Europe ethical guidelines.

Our projects are initiated and carried out by scientists and non-scientists from a variety of backgrounds. They are passionate about tinkering with biology in particular, and technology in general. Some are engineers, architects, designers, IT and computer scientists or retired professionals, but others have no scientific education. They are mostly citizens interested in open and participatory research and innovation, outside the constraints of traditional institutions.

Hackuarium members want to investigate new ways of carrying out interdisciplinary research and innovation, by making their results open, accessible (low-cost), simple and easily reproducible (low-tech) and by promoting an open source philosophy.

And if you are curious where the name comes from, take a look here.

For some History, you know what to do... ;)
To make a long story short, Hackuarium found a new home (yay!) in Ecublens, for the moment, with some like minds!
A cooperative (Space Alliance Coopérative) with two other associations (Octanis & Polymeka) and a few other startups came together to look for a new place to call home and provide space for everyone's projects and work. Our first activities at Route de Crochy 20 started in February 2019.

Where are we located?

Route de Crochy 20, CH-1024 Écublens, Switzerland (Ouest lausannois, m1 Crochy)

The overall map of the new space is shown to the right, with the new Hackuarium located primary in two rooms (marked with our little purple open science octopus logo).

map of the space

The biolab is located in a south facing room of over 22m2, with three windows and a linoleum floor.
We also have a so-called 'inner sanctum' without windows, that is mainly for electronics and chemistry work, but can also be used for some biology studies, especially higher resolution microscopy (also with a Raspberry Pi camera on the old Zeiss scope, and with the option to try the OpenFlexure :) and bioluminescence studies, but growth of cultures is not allowed in this space.
(there is a carpet!)
There are also other Hackuarium 'assets' around the corner from the biolab, shown as purple rectangles on the map and including the sterile hood and the ultracentrifuge. A closet also contains a great deal of consumables and other labware. (We welcome project ideas that will use some of this! :)
To note once more: this building is really only a provisional space, as it is destined for destruction in the next 3-5 years!
We will continue to look for a more permanent space, while developing our community further and promoting Open Science!
Of course the problem with 'corona' is a new challenge for us all to surmount... Our biolab, with controlled P1 access, and the 'inner sanctum' for electronics and imagerie and more are already facilitating project experiments, even the #coronadetective, with more fun in the pipeline with our coop colleagues, like Sam and Raffael from Octanis, who were also early members of Hackuarium. In fact, Octanis was 'born' as a Hackuarium project, luckily for everyone... They are even now giving the old Hackuarium bioreactor project new life, and providing expertise for the new openflexure epifluorescence build! :)

Who are we?

Our members reflect the diversity that is in and around the Lausanne area.

Check us out, and find out what makes Hackuarium a good mix.

Committee

The current committee was elected during our annual general assembly meeting and duties for each person are listed below.
For 2021:

• President: Rachel Aronoff (also Participatory Research Facilitator and Biosafety Officer)
• Secretary: Esther Calderon
• Treasurer: Michel Horisberger (Masoud Alipour as backup, also for IT)
• Vanessa Lorenzo Art et Science (STEAM) (+ Resp Events dans le Calendrier?
• Webmaster: Raphaël Casimir
• Joël Christen (aide)Secrétaire, re-lecteur FR & Lien Communes de l'Ouest Lausannois
• Tatiana Eliseeva member of the Board

The next board meeting will be 20 October Reunion_du_Comite_20/10/2021. Come join in if you can, please, but especially for the 7th anniversary party, the 6th of October!
The last meeting was Reunion_du_comite_22/09/2021.

Since this strange time of covid-19, many of these 'meetings' were virtual... We are still watching incidence numbers, and hoping everyone gets vaccinated.

Members and Membership

Do you have a project in mind? Do you just want to support us?

Hackuarium operates on a membership basis, even though all events are open to anyone, including non-members.

The monthly membership fee is 20 CHF. It gives 24/7 access to the lab.

We would love to have you as a member! Just follow the instructions below.

Want to join?

• We have a form on the website, to fast-track joining the community, if you are keen, perhaps after a few #OpenHackuarium experiences (every Wednesday evening is open to the public).

• Read some helpful info here.

• Write an email to hello@hackuarium.ch and give us a short description of:
  • Yourself, your interests, your background
  • What you would like to learn or do at Hackuarium

Friends of Hackuarium

Spaces:

JOGL

FabLab Onl'fait, Genève

OSS Paris

La Paillasse, Paris

Paillasse Saône, Lyon

The BioFoundry, Sydney

Bioquisitive, Melbourne

Projects:

Octanis

Hybridoa

Apéro Sciences

AGiR!

Exodes Urbains

EchOpen

We would like to thank the Foundation Inartis for hosting our activities in Renens for the first four years (2014-2018) of our activities.

Events

Our lab and space are open to the public. Please come and have a chat! And if you have any project ideas or questions get in touch!

OpenHackuarium: Every Wednesday, 19:00-22:00 As the current health crisis around covid-19 is far from being resolved, and in fact this second wave is somewhat frightening, with worries also about members' health, these will be held virtually (from 18oct until further notice, please). Members of course can work, following security measures and distancing (no more than three people in the P1 lab for now) and also please write our hello (at) for organising any special visits...

You want to organise an event at Hackuarium, or with the Hackuarium community? We have these guidelines so it is easy for any member to do. (anyone want to add zoom info here? :)
Not a member? mail to hello (at) hackuarium (dot) ch to share your interests and learn more about the community!
(Maybe you will want to join us eventually? See above for further links to info in this regard!)

Upcoming Hackuarium Events

2021

• Wednesdays 19:00-20:30: Open Hackuarium Nights

2021.10.06 mercredi 19h30-22h #OH spécial pour fêter 7ans de Hackuarium - presentation par Rachel, HACKUARIUM ET LE BIOHACKING: De quoi s’agit-il? Allez y, nous rejoindre pour tous nos soirées portes ouvertes.

2021.10.13 mercredi 19h30-22h #OH

2021.10.20 mercredi 20 October, réunion du comité et #OH

2021.10.30 samedi 30 Octobre, 13h30-17h. Atelier 'Kids' Club' - Neurosciences pour tous!

2021.11.20 samedi 10-16h: Atelier Spectro avec Ingénieurs Suisse!

As measures are relaxed, rising cases are evident. Simply watching it all, especially for hospitalisations/deaths in England...
Please make the most of the chance to get vaccinated, if you have not yet...
Each active infection gives the virus another chance to acquire something new - hopefully not the means to evade immunity!
Still, - we have been starting activities at lab! carefully...

you can also follow our google calendar

Other Upcoming Events

2021

2021.10.07 jeudi 7 octobre, 20h. Collaborations de la rivière Atrato, une rencontre improbable avec les collectifs artistiques d'Atrato

2021.10.09 samedi 9 octobre à la chateau de Voltaire (Ferney-Voltaire, FR), la fête de la science: organisé par Pangloss Labs. Exposition (stand) et conference de Hackuarium prévu.

2021.10.15 vendredi 15 october, à la Maison de la Rivière. CoFish project co-construction session.

• extra fun!?
• Another Chat with interesting people (Urs Gaudenz, latest invité - pcr and nanodrop)
• XY (virtually, via zoom or jitsi)

Depending upon Corona numbers, which still seem to be decreasing, here, at least!

Past Hackuarium Events

You can find the complete list of our past events here.

Event Organisation

You want to organise an event? Go for it!

Just follow these instructions.

Projects

Here, you will find the projects going on at Hackuarium.

Active Projects

• BeeMoS
• #CoronaDetective, now with a new project page Corona Detective
• Open source spectrophotometer
• Living Instruments
• Open Food DNA
• Darty_Monkeys
• Mari mutare
• AGiR! projects at Hackuarium
• Urban gardens with rhizobial bacteria
• Open Source Bioreactor
• Atelier à GoGo
• OpenInsulin

Archived Projects

• Dans la Drêche
• Steady state bioreactor
• BeerDeCoded
• Grow&Mix_Bioink
• Workshop Bioprinter
• Micro to Macro Water Pollution - with Hammerdirt and BIO-DESIGN for the REAL WORLD
• Spectro-pointer
• Terraforming Alkaline Experiments
• DIY Transilluminator
• Stress Analyzer
• BIO-DESIGN for the REAL WORLD
• Octanis - All projects from the Octanis association have moved to a new space. For more information about their Rover / Balloon click here.
• Crowdfunding
• HTGAA
• Hacktion challenges
• Open-Food-DNA
• Bience (Beer and Science!)
• Mycelium Structures
• Live Type
• LivingLab Design
• Bioluminescence
• Quantitative Anthropology
• Impression 3D
• Projects:Dépollution des stands de tirs Suisses
• Incubateur bon marché
• Space Seed
• Reception d'images satellites
• Edible wall
• ZéBU CH
• Compost Bacteria
• Protein purification systems
• unmapping
• Colab Biomaterials
• Kombucha Bacterial Cellulose

Practical Information

Rules at Hackuarium

We have very few rules at Hackuarium. The goal of the association is to provide freedom to its members, so they can explore beyond what is allowed elsewhere. However, we want members and anyone participating in our activities to feel comfortable and respected, and, especially for biosafety and the P1 lab, we want to make sure members always follow the rules.

This page describes the code of conduct for Hackuarium members.

Use of the Biolab (P1 lab=Biosafety Level 1 experiments possible)

As of November 2017, Hackuarium was officially hosting its own P1 laboratory. While we still lacked some essential infrastructure (-80 freezer, ventilated fume hood), we were (and still are!) working on it... More can be found out about use of that previous facility by following the next link... P1 Lab Activities However, the new space in Ecublens has even more challenges, with the sterile hood not even fitting in the doors (or windows even) of the Biolab! So, while we indeed hoped to again qualify as an official P1, we were not yet sure intil 6June2019, when a visitor from Bern (mandataire from BAFU) came to the lab to inspect everything, and ended up telling us to go on ahead and work (after admin details sorted - address change with BAFU)! What great news!
The Biolab Use and Safety page specifies equipment and standard operating procedures in the lab in the context of the cooperative in Ecublens.
12 members have already done the intro to biosecurity (but not all have yet signed their waivers!) and will have 24/7 access to the lab.
Interested in developing a project with us?
We look forward to seeing you there!

Protocols

Many protocols that we use at Hackuarium will be found here (work in progress). They are detailed and structured so that the main focus is on applications. The idea is to give crucial information on how to apply the most common techniques of the Biology toolbox. The protocols are structured as follow:

A scheme describing each

A brief description of the protocol and its use

A description of the different ways of carrying out the protocol. Ideally there should be a description of a commercial kit and a DIY kit.

A description of the safety issues and best practice

Information specific to Hackuarium and where to find the components, tools and reagents.

Imre's SynBio recources for advanced cloners
The Corona Detective wiki page with links to protocols

Consumables in stock

You can check online the [consumables in stock].

Instruments available

This page describes all the instruments available at Hackuarium (work in progress..), their location and how to use them.

A list of instruments we still need

This on-line document contains a list of instruments, tools and consumables we are looking for generally. We could also greatly use an ordinary dissecting scope (binocular loupe) with non-heating illumination for manipulations of microbes of all sorts (i.e. for the Moss Menageries). We have a standard donation contract (contrat de donation, in French) and if your organisation happens to want to discard a piece of equipment we are (or may be) looking for, contact us!

Where we shop

As a general rule, we do not buy anything. We try to recycle, upcycle, bicycle, epicycle anything we can, or ask around if anyone can provide supplies for free.

In some cases it does not work out, and so these are the place where we can find what we need.

In any case, Please contact a member of the Board, if you need to order anything in the name of Hackuarium.

Labware and Reagents

Consumables and some chemicals can be purchased from Huber Lab.
More chemicals can be obtained from Carl Roth.
If necessary, other chemicals and biochemicals can be obtained from Sigma Aldrich.
Molecular biology tools can be purchased from Qiagen.

Swiss-based Smiples has a very extensive listing of second hand laboratory and technical items. These can be bought from their online shop or from Ricardo.
But most laboratory hardware can be obtained from our network of friends and partners. Get in touch with Luc Henry if you need anything specific and we'll do our best to find it.

Organic

Algae, protozoa, aquatic life and educational kits: | Sciento
Bacteria, global biosource center (Hackuarium has a customer account, shop through our Biosecurity manager): | ATCC
Carolina.com is another source, much less expensive than ATCC for (for instance) the rhizobial bacterial strain!

Hardware

Options for electronic parts:

• Ebay (international)
• AliExpress (China)
• Adafruit (UK)
• Seeedstudio (China)
• Tmart (Hong Kong)
• Rasberry pi shop (Switzerland)
• Distrelec (Switzerland)

How to build a new project page on our Wiki

If you want to start or edit a project page on Hackuarium's wiki, please follow these instructions.

Reading List

Peer-Reviewed Articles from Hackuarium projects

1) BeerDeCoded
2) Participatory research to examine lake water quality (MCBP)
3) Corona Detective (in press, early access pdf available from list here)
4) Review on Isothermal Amplification (method used for Corona Detective and more! in press)

Special prize-winning article

• 2021 written with JOGL colleagues and appeared in PLOS Biology: Empowering grassroots innovation to accelerate biomedical research

The DIY biology / Biohacking movement

Biohackers. The politics of open science by Alessandro Delfanti (2013) London: Pluto Press (A review of the book by Luc Henry)

DIY-Bio – economic, epistemological and ethical implications and ambivalences by Jozef Keulartz and Henk van den Belt (2016) Life Sciences, Society and Policy

Biohacking everything you need to know about diy biology, (Accessed 05.2016)

Genspace gets funding, PRNewswire, (Accessed 05.2016)

Learn from DIY biologists, Todd Kuiken, Nature, (Accessed 05.2016)

And a much more complete list by Massimiliano Simons, KU Leuven:

Akst, Jef (2013), The Rebirth of DIYbio, The Scientist

Austen, Kat (2013) Out of the lab and onto the streets, New Scientist

Baker, Beth (2015) DIYbio - Alternative Career Path for Biologists? , BioScience 65 (1): 112

Bennett, Gaymon, Gilman, Nils, Stavrianakis, Anthony and Rabinow, Paul (2009) From synthetic biology to biohacking: are we prepared?, Nature Biotechnology 27, 1109 - 1111

Brian J. Gorman, J. (2011) Office as Biosecurity Gatekeeper: Fosering Responsible Science and Building Public Trust in DIY Science, Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 423

Buiani, Roberta (2015) Biolab-on-Wheels: finding a space for a DIY bio lab in Toronto, Journal of Mobile Media

Charisius, Hanno & Friebe, Richard & Karberg, Sascha -

Curry, Helen Anne (2013) From garden biotech to garage biotech: amateur experimental biology in historical perspective

Davies, Sarah R. & Karin Tybjerg & Louise Whiteley & Thomas Söderqvist (2015) Co-curation as hacking: biohackers in Copenhagen's Medical Museion

Delfanti, Alessandro (2012) Tweaking genes in your garage: biohacking between activism and entrepreneurship

Delfanti, Alessandro (2014) Is Do-it-Yourself Biology Being Co-opted by Institutions?

Delfanti, Alessandro (2017) Distributed biotechnology

Delfanti, Alessandro (2011) Hacking genomes. The ethics of open and rebel biology

Delgado, Ana - DIYbio: Making things and making futures

Editorial - Empowering citizen scientists

Eggleson, Kathleen - Transatlantic Divergences in Citizen Science Ethics - Comparative Analysis of the DIYbio Code of Ethics Drafts of 2011

Gewin, Virginia - Independent streak

Golinelli, Stefano & Guido Ruivenkamp - Do-it-yourself biology: Action research within the life sciences

Grushkin, D., Kuiken, T., Millet, P - Seven Myths & Realities about Do-It-Yourself Biology

Grushkin, Daniel - Am I a biohazard?

Holloway, Dustin - Regulating Amateurs

Jefferson, Chaterine - Governing Amateur Biology: Extending Respnonsible Research and Innovation in Synthetic Biology to New Actors

Kean, Sam - A Lab of Their Own

Kelty, Christopher - Outlaw, hackers, victorian amateurs: diagnosing publich participation in the life sciences today

Kera, Denisa - Hackerspaces and DIYbio in Asia: connecting science and community with open data, kits and protocols

Kera, Denisa - Innovation regimes based on collaborative and global tinkering: Synthetic biology and nanotechnology in the hackerspaces

Kuiken, Todd - DIYbio: Low Risk, High Potential

Kuiken, Todd - Learn from Do-It-Yourself Biologists

Kuznetsov, Stacey - Expanding Our Visions of Citizen Science

Kuznetsov, Stacey & Alex Taylor & Tim Regan & Nicolas Villar & Eric Paulos - At the seams: DIYbio and opportunities for HCI

Kuznetsov, Stacey & Carrie Doonan & Nathan Wilson & Swarna Mohan & Scott E. Hudson & Eric Paulson - DIYbio Things: Open Source Biology Tools as Platforms fo rHybrid Knowledge Production and Scientific Participation

Landrain, Thomas & Meyer, Morgan & Perez, Ariel Martin & Sussan, Remi - Do-it-yourself biology: challenges and promises for an open science and technology movement

Lisa Z. Scheifele & Thomas Burkett - The First Three Years of a Community Lab: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward

McKenna, Phil - Rise of the garage genome hackers

Meyer, Morgan - Build your own lab

Meyer, Morgan - Domesticating and democratizing science: a geography of do-it-yourself biology

Meyer, Morgan - Hacking Life? The Politics and Poetics of DIY Biology

Meyer, Morgan - Bricoler, domestiquer et contourner la science

Nascimento, Susana & Angela Guimaraes Pereira & Alessia Ghezzi - From Citizen Science to Do It Yourself Science

NSABB - Strategies to Educate Amateur Biologists and Scientists in Non-life Science Disciplines About Dual use Research in the Life Science

Schmidt, Markus - Diffusion of synthetic biology

Scudellari, Megan - Biology Hacklabs

Seyfried, Günter & Pei, Lei & Schmidt, Markus - European do-it-yourself (DIY) biology: Beyond the hope, hype and horror

Sholette, Gregory - Disciplining the avant-garde: The United States versus the Critical Art Ensemble

Sipra Bihani & Michael Hartman & Florian Sobiegalla & Amanda rosenberg - Comparing network strutures of commercial and non-commercial biohacking online-communities

Söderberg, Johan & Delfanti, Alessandro - Hacking Hacked! The Life Cycles of Digital Innovation

Söderberg, Johan & Delfanti, Alessandro - Repurposing the hacker. Three temporalities of recuperation

Tocchetti, Sara - DIYbiologists as 'Makers' of Personal Biologies

Tocchetti, Sara - What kind of work we are doing now and what kind of work we want to do

Tocchetti, Sara & Sara Angeli Aguiton - Is an FBI Agent an DIY Biologist Like Any Oter? A Cultural Analysis of a Biosecurity Risk

Trojok, Rüdiger - Biohacking: Gentechnologie für Alle

van Boheemen, Pieter & Huib de Vriend - Do-it-yourself biology: Een verkenning van ontwikkelingen in Nederland

Wohlsen, Marcus - Biopunk: Solving Biotech's Biggest Problems in Kitchens and Garages

Open Hardware

Open-hardware, pioneers push for low-cost lab kit by Elizabeth Gibney, Nature, (Accessed 05.2016)

Appropedia a source of DIY instruments builds, Dr. Joshua Pearce, (Accessed 05.2016)

The PCB milling machine, Open Hardware Repository, (Accessed 05.2016)

More

http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/sensortape-3d-aware-dense-sensor-network-on-a-tape/, Sensory network on a roll of tape, Filip Visnjic, (Accessed 05.2016)

RedEye Oxygen Sensing Patches, Ocean Optics, (Accessed 05.2016)

Art

Rainbow wasp nests, Mattia Menchetti, (Accessed 05.2016)

Dirty beats making music with bacteria, Interspecifics(Accessed 05.2016)

More1, More2, More3

Ideas/Concepts/Science

The new tree of life TED (Accessed 05.2016)

Rethinking work, Yann Heurtaux, (Accessed 05.2016)

That plastic bottle cutter, Pavel & Ian, (Accessed 05.2016)

Open Source

Results held hostage, Francesco Mondada, (Accessed 05.2016)

Visual Identity

• Logo
• Our poster in pdf ready to print
• Working on a footage for videos (coming soon)

Media and Press

Please check our Press kit out. It includes a prototype Press review of most of our media appearances over the years.

EU Paperwork

We now have an identification number aka Participant Identification Code (PIC) from the European Participant Portal for any Horizon 2020 application. The Hackuarium PIC number is 907732306. It can be verified on the official search engine.

Wanted

Do you want to contribute to making Hackuarium a diverse and lively community? Check out our wanted lists:

Skills

Ideas

Equipment

Consumables

* and of course a brewery - La Peregrine.