Biology in the Backyard, or Worse the Bedroom

Just like how some computer businesses or viruses started in a teenagers' garage or room; biotechnology may follow. Due to the cost of hardware falling and genetic information multiplies, bio-hackers are surfacing. Teenagers can’t quite shell out the $50,000 for second hand equipment and basic home-biotechnology lab, but prices are falling. There are a myriad of biology graduates that have graduated and are interested in this. Some have already had success, Agribiotics, which is an agricultural biotechnology firm, was sold for $24 million and it grew from a home run business. A reader from the magazine Biotech Hobbyist, brags that he has created a weed resistant to Roundup. More tell of cloning trees and creating skin-tissue cultures.

As interesting as this all sounds, it scares me to know that people have the capabilities to do such things in there homes. With new technology comes the questions of ethical issues and how to handle restraints. Should they’re be laws against these home labs? Could this be hurting our economy and/or our environment? Should there be penalties for wrongdoing?