So as part of an art project to be presented later next year, I am exploring the topic of eugenics using plant breeding as the medium. We often select for "perfection", but what does that mean? Who arbitrates taste in such a way as to label a living being "unworthy"? 🧵 1/n

Biologists and bioengineers work with 4.5 billion year old self-replicating nanomachines that generate and alter their own code over time, changing the surface and atmosphere of an entire planet in the process.

What could possibly be cooler and more scifi than this?

Nothing.

What if I don't want to scale? What if I just want to make a sustainable business that makes real things and fills real local needs?

It's my birthday today and all I want is to know what your favorite flower is. Please share a pic or comment below. I'll reveal mine at end of day. 🌺

A great list of open-source textbooks curated by UMN. Click browse subjects for more.

open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/

Excited to announce some new plasmid offerings in my shop at atinygreencell.com! Here's a thread of the current catalog. All proceeds directly support my lab and my continued effort to build useful open-source tools. Feel free to get in touch if you want to know more. Please share! 💚

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I've never been a good student, B- at best, but these days I inhale papers and dream in bioengineering. I wish the conveniently numerical metrics of our society didn't convince us to throw away folks who are deeply dedicated and motivated but incapable of standardized testing.

Passion counts.

I got hit by some rather sudden and extreme financial hardship so if anyone is in need of remote wetlab contract research, strictly BSL1, do let me know. Currently scrambling for gigs.

Plant, Bacterial, Archaeal Non-model Bioeng
Custom Lab Hardware
Turn Key Genetic Design

Please repost for reach 💚

Just finished reading the latest issue of Asimov Press and absolutely recommend it to anyone else in or interested in the Biotech space. Also crazy cool to hold a literal DNA copy of the entire book in my bare hands! Super happy with my purchase, thank you @asimovpress.bsky.social!!!

Just hit 1000 subs on my YouTube channel! Thank's for following along and enjoying my content. 💚🥳

youtube.com/@atinygreenc...

Another pic of stand up for science Minneapolis. @standupforscience.bsky.social
@drugmonkey.bsky.social @altnih4science.bsky.social

Researchers engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to express an enzyme derived from sea sponges, which polymerizes bioglass from silica, allowing the bacteria to self-assemble lenses that focus light into narrow, intense beams. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....

Really proud of this one. Nothing speaks more true to my sentiments on the value of open source and accessible hardware. Hoping it can be a guide for fellow researchers. Look out for my next collab with @sarraceniamason.bsky.social, hopefully this coming year!

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

In one year, I genetically engineered the boring Arabidopsis into a beautiful ornamental flower 🧬🌹

Here is how and why I gave this model organism a visual upgrade 🧵(1/7)

EVERY. SINGLE. CONSTRUCT. WORRRKKEEEEDDDDD

It's gonna take some time to get better photos, but here's a sneak peak. My blue chromoprotein/fluorescent protein fusion worked perfectly. It's so pretty and looks great in white light and UV.

Latest from @biotechdixon.bsky.social lab @uommib.bsky.social on the topic of "Genetically encoded biosensors for the circular plastics bioeconomy" #SynBio #plastic #biosensor #biocatalysis doi.org/10.1016/j.me...

Microbiology will always be one of the most satisfying fields of natural science. Nigh-infinite levels of biodiversity, perpetual room for novel findings, and an evergreen requirement for the advancement of human civilization. 10/10. Big fan. Would recommend.

🦠💪

I am ***absurdly*** excited to announce the launch of a new funding opportunity through Experiment dot com!!! You have one month to pitch something wonderful in the realm of plant biology/biotech research and education. $10,000 max grant. PLEASE RE-POST + SHARE!!! 1/3

experiment.com/programs/pla...