Ben Scott
@benmiscott.bsky.social
Science, housing advocacy, transit, Lego. 🧬🤖🌱 Engineering Biology Platform Lead, Global Institute for Food Security
https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=dHPm9s0AAAAJ&hl=en
https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=dHPm9s0AAAAJ&hl=en
Reposted by Ben Scott
Oh FUCK this and fuck anyone who voted for this
October 23, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Oh FUCK this and fuck anyone who voted for this
Reposted by Ben Scott
Here's another #MegabaseSpark submission, from
@osn-scott.bsky.social: "The Open Yarrowia Collection" (detail in reply) Like and repost if you like this idea! #SynBio #RootPath
@osn-scott.bsky.social: "The Open Yarrowia Collection" (detail in reply) Like and repost if you like this idea! #SynBio #RootPath
May 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Here's another #MegabaseSpark submission, from
@osn-scott.bsky.social: "The Open Yarrowia Collection" (detail in reply) Like and repost if you like this idea! #SynBio #RootPath
@osn-scott.bsky.social: "The Open Yarrowia Collection" (detail in reply) Like and repost if you like this idea! #SynBio #RootPath
Reposted by Ben Scott
Cynthia Black is a leader in our community. Organizing with tenants in the High Park area against unfair rent hikes and rent price fixing. She knows the importance of having an MP you can trust.
Thank you, Cynthia, for your support! I'm honoured to fight alongside you.
Thank you, Cynthia, for your support! I'm honoured to fight alongside you.
April 28, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Cynthia Black is a leader in our community. Organizing with tenants in the High Park area against unfair rent hikes and rent price fixing. She knows the importance of having an MP you can trust.
Thank you, Cynthia, for your support! I'm honoured to fight alongside you.
Thank you, Cynthia, for your support! I'm honoured to fight alongside you.
@bhutilakarpoche.bsky.social has been a steadfast ally from Day 1. When other politicians turned a blind eye to price fixing and predatory landlords, Bhutila stood up for tenants. That's what true leadership looks like!
With unpredictable rent hikes, unfair evictions, and LTB problems—understanding the law and knowing your rights is critical.
That’s why my team and I worked on Tenant Guide books with housing experts.
That’s the kind of proactive grassroots effort you can always count on me for.
That’s why my team and I worked on Tenant Guide books with housing experts.
That’s the kind of proactive grassroots effort you can always count on me for.
April 25, 2025 at 12:33 AM
@bhutilakarpoche.bsky.social has been a steadfast ally from Day 1. When other politicians turned a blind eye to price fixing and predatory landlords, Bhutila stood up for tenants. That's what true leadership looks like!
Finally identifying the problem with AI I couldn't quite articulate.
“Simply put: I don’t know where this endless march of shortening the act of living leads us to. AI promises to free up time. But if what it spares us from is learning from our friends, writing, painting and exploring the world, then what, actually, are we meant to do with that time?”
AI promises to free up time. But what if it spares us from learning, writing, painting and exploring the world? | Joseph Earp
If I reduced my existence to a series of ChatGPT prompts, the act of my living is only shorter – not better
www.theguardian.com
March 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Finally identifying the problem with AI I couldn't quite articulate.
Reposted by Ben Scott
TORONTO’S NEW LANDLORDS: They’re ultra rich & over the next 8 years they’re bringing 21,000 units without rent control to a new building near you.
Meet the corporate firms that a growing number of Torontonians are paying their rent to.
www.westendphoenix.com/stories/toro...
✍️: Emma Paling
Meet the corporate firms that a growing number of Torontonians are paying their rent to.
www.westendphoenix.com/stories/toro...
✍️: Emma Paling
March 29, 2025 at 4:22 PM
TORONTO’S NEW LANDLORDS: They’re ultra rich & over the next 8 years they’re bringing 21,000 units without rent control to a new building near you.
Meet the corporate firms that a growing number of Torontonians are paying their rent to.
www.westendphoenix.com/stories/toro...
✍️: Emma Paling
Meet the corporate firms that a growing number of Torontonians are paying their rent to.
www.westendphoenix.com/stories/toro...
✍️: Emma Paling
Reposted by Ben Scott
The iGEM
Grand Jamboree doesn't feel like any other scientific conference. It's zany, it's authentic, and most of all, it's FUN
I wrote this OpEd piece for ACS Synbio about what makes iGEM work and why other scientific events need to take notes
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Grand Jamboree doesn't feel like any other scientific conference. It's zany, it's authentic, and most of all, it's FUN
I wrote this OpEd piece for ACS Synbio about what makes iGEM work and why other scientific events need to take notes
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
February 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The iGEM
Grand Jamboree doesn't feel like any other scientific conference. It's zany, it's authentic, and most of all, it's FUN
I wrote this OpEd piece for ACS Synbio about what makes iGEM work and why other scientific events need to take notes
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Grand Jamboree doesn't feel like any other scientific conference. It's zany, it's authentic, and most of all, it's FUN
I wrote this OpEd piece for ACS Synbio about what makes iGEM work and why other scientific events need to take notes
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Ben Scott
Would you rather live in a world without modern medicine or a world without B2B SaaS?
When someone claims "biotech shows a lack of progress relative to digital tech" let's keep in mind that there are other metrics of progress besides how fast you can start and 100x a company
When someone claims "biotech shows a lack of progress relative to digital tech" let's keep in mind that there are other metrics of progress besides how fast you can start and 100x a company
March 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Would you rather live in a world without modern medicine or a world without B2B SaaS?
When someone claims "biotech shows a lack of progress relative to digital tech" let's keep in mind that there are other metrics of progress besides how fast you can start and 100x a company
When someone claims "biotech shows a lack of progress relative to digital tech" let's keep in mind that there are other metrics of progress besides how fast you can start and 100x a company
"3D printed homes" but no mention of rent control. Are you kidding me? Real rent control, including vacancy control, is the simplest and fastest thing that we can do to tackle the #housingcrisis macleans.ca/longforms/ho...
How To Fix Canada’s Housing Crisis - Macleans.ca
Twenty-five bold, entirely doable ways to make Canada affordable again
macleans.ca
March 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM
"3D printed homes" but no mention of rent control. Are you kidding me? Real rent control, including vacancy control, is the simplest and fastest thing that we can do to tackle the #housingcrisis macleans.ca/longforms/ho...
Are you a tenant in Canada 🇨🇦? You will NOT want to miss this!
Need a little hope?
Join us April 15th to learn how tenants have been working to #StopTheLandlordCartel
Register for this FREE virtual event:
tenantunion.ca/landlordcartel
Join us April 15th to learn how tenants have been working to #StopTheLandlordCartel
Register for this FREE virtual event:
tenantunion.ca/landlordcartel
March 18, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Are you a tenant in Canada 🇨🇦? You will NOT want to miss this!
Reposted by Ben Scott
Need a little hope?
Join us April 15th to learn how tenants have been working to #StopTheLandlordCartel
Register for this FREE virtual event:
tenantunion.ca/landlordcartel
Join us April 15th to learn how tenants have been working to #StopTheLandlordCartel
Register for this FREE virtual event:
tenantunion.ca/landlordcartel
March 18, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Need a little hope?
Join us April 15th to learn how tenants have been working to #StopTheLandlordCartel
Register for this FREE virtual event:
tenantunion.ca/landlordcartel
Join us April 15th to learn how tenants have been working to #StopTheLandlordCartel
Register for this FREE virtual event:
tenantunion.ca/landlordcartel
Reposted by Ben Scott
"The housing crisis will not be solved by a policy debate. This is a social movement. This is class war!" - John Clarke #housingjustice
March 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
"The housing crisis will not be solved by a policy debate. This is a social movement. This is class war!" - John Clarke #housingjustice
Reposted by Ben Scott
We're at @housingjusticenow.bsky.social in Montreal where @cynthiablack.bsky.social is speaking about Big Tech vs #housingjustice
March 8, 2025 at 1:59 PM
We're at @housingjusticenow.bsky.social in Montreal where @cynthiablack.bsky.social is speaking about Big Tech vs #housingjustice
Reposted by Ben Scott
you’re fired. wait you’re rehired. email us a list of things you’ve done today wait forget it you’re fired again. come back your job was important. you’re fired. or hired. come in to the office. wait the office has no computers go home. we are the department of government efficiency.
March 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM
you’re fired. wait you’re rehired. email us a list of things you’ve done today wait forget it you’re fired again. come back your job was important. you’re fired. or hired. come in to the office. wait the office has no computers go home. we are the department of government efficiency.
Reposted by Ben Scott
No they don’t. Canada and Mexico want none of this. They want the president of the United States to respect and abide by the trade treaty he negotiated with them - and not make up bogus pretexts for plunging us all into a gratuitous no win economic debacle.
February 2, 2025 at 6:44 PM
No they don’t. Canada and Mexico want none of this. They want the president of the United States to respect and abide by the trade treaty he negotiated with them - and not make up bogus pretexts for plunging us all into a gratuitous no win economic debacle.
Reposted by Ben Scott
hey quick question does Goliath win in that story
February 2, 2025 at 6:06 PM
hey quick question does Goliath win in that story
Thinking of my family, friends, and colleagues in the US.
It's obvious that this 🇺🇸🇨🇦 #tradewar is delusional. But the manufactured crisis may boil over into long lasting tension.
Never forget who the real enemies are — the ones who gain power and popularity by sowing division.
It's obvious that this 🇺🇸🇨🇦 #tradewar is delusional. But the manufactured crisis may boil over into long lasting tension.
Never forget who the real enemies are — the ones who gain power and popularity by sowing division.
February 2, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Thinking of my family, friends, and colleagues in the US.
It's obvious that this 🇺🇸🇨🇦 #tradewar is delusional. But the manufactured crisis may boil over into long lasting tension.
Never forget who the real enemies are — the ones who gain power and popularity by sowing division.
It's obvious that this 🇺🇸🇨🇦 #tradewar is delusional. But the manufactured crisis may boil over into long lasting tension.
Never forget who the real enemies are — the ones who gain power and popularity by sowing division.
Reposted by Ben Scott
Which DNA polymerase / PCR kit would you recommend to genotype from crude lysates?
This is for heat-lysed cultured mammalian cells right after clone picking.
We need robust on 2-3kb amplicons.
KOD Xtream works amazing but $$$ and backordered
- Thx!! 🧬
This is for heat-lysed cultured mammalian cells right after clone picking.
We need robust on 2-3kb amplicons.
KOD Xtream works amazing but $$$ and backordered
- Thx!! 🧬
January 25, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Which DNA polymerase / PCR kit would you recommend to genotype from crude lysates?
This is for heat-lysed cultured mammalian cells right after clone picking.
We need robust on 2-3kb amplicons.
KOD Xtream works amazing but $$$ and backordered
- Thx!! 🧬
This is for heat-lysed cultured mammalian cells right after clone picking.
We need robust on 2-3kb amplicons.
KOD Xtream works amazing but $$$ and backordered
- Thx!! 🧬
There are some weeks in the lab where absolutely nothing works.
And then there are weeks where just one thing works, but it validates all hard work before it.
This week was the latter...and I'm very excited about what happens next!
And then there are weeks where just one thing works, but it validates all hard work before it.
This week was the latter...and I'm very excited about what happens next!
January 25, 2025 at 1:35 AM
There are some weeks in the lab where absolutely nothing works.
And then there are weeks where just one thing works, but it validates all hard work before it.
This week was the latter...and I'm very excited about what happens next!
And then there are weeks where just one thing works, but it validates all hard work before it.
This week was the latter...and I'm very excited about what happens next!
The difference between #techbio and #biotech is hubris. Where #techbio believes biological mystery can be overcome by more data and that the underlying mechanism is unimportant, #biotech (and it's children #synbio #engbio) believes that the mechanism itself will lead to new wonders
January 24, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Great read. A focused assessment of where engineering biology is. Plus some hints about where it needs to go. 🧬
When we started the Foundry Theory series about a year ago, I expected it to be mainly a technology story. But it turns out to be mainly a human story.
foundrytheory.substack.com/p/three-less...
foundrytheory.substack.com/p/three-less...
Three Lessons from a Year of Foundry Theory
After a year of studying and talking about the Ginkgo Bioworks foundry, I've learned at least 3 things.
foundrytheory.substack.com
January 23, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Great read. A focused assessment of where engineering biology is. Plus some hints about where it needs to go. 🧬