In a warehouse space in Sunnyvale, people who are not professional scientists are running PCR machines, culturing bacteria, and engineering organisms. BioCurious is a community biology laboratory and nonprofit organization that launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2010 and opened its doors in October 2011, co-founded by a group that includes Eri Gentry, Kristina Hathaway, and Raymond McCauley. The concept was straightforward: provide affordable access to biological laboratory equipment and training so that anyone with curiosity and discipline could participate in biotechnology research. It was the hacker ethos applied to biology.
BioCurious operates on the model of a hackerspace or makerspace, but for biology. Members pay dues for access to shared laboratory equipment that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase individually. The lab includes PCR machines, centrifuges, incubators, microscopes, and the basic wet-lab infrastructure needed for molecular biology work. Classes and workshops teach techniques ranging from DNA extraction to genetic engineering, making skills that were once confined to university and corporate labs available to anyone willing to learn.
The location in Sunnyvale, at the geographic heart of Silicon Valley, is no accident. BioCurious draws from a community of engineers, programmers, and entrepreneurs who are accustomed to building things in garages and warehouses. The lab has hosted projects ranging from DIY insulin research to bioluminescent plant experiments. Some members are entrepreneurs testing ideas before seeking venture capital. Others are hobbyists exploring biology for personal enrichment. The common thread is a belief that biological literacy should not be limited to those with advanced degrees and institutional affiliations.
Located at 37.38°N, 121.97°W in Sunnyvale. Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (KSJC) is approximately 4 miles southeast. Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) is about 3 miles northwest.