Does anybody know what cost would it be worth to set a totally home based laboratory for work in microbiology and dealing with cell cultures? Is it somehow possible with reasonable investment?
I would say: no, but I read an article about a movement in the USA, where people are doing molecular biology at home. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that article so far. I think, this would be interesting for you, dear Dauren. Does anybody also read this article and knows what I am talking about?
You should check first on the regulatory requirements in your country. For obvious safety reasons we all know about you have to comply with high globally standardized guidelines. If this works you should expect costs between 5k-10k USD per month depending on the work load and regional maintenance expenses.
Have you seen this book by Marc Wohlsen?
http://www.amazon.com/Biopunk-Solving-Biotechs-Problems-Kitchens/dp/1617230073
Wohlsen (who strangely enough attended my high school--I inherited his chemistry textbook) describes the "biopunk" or "biohacking" movement.
As neat as this is, and as others have emphasized above, unless a home investigator is doing the work "just for fun" and there are no conceivable safety issues (unlikely with microbiology), there is a real need to do everything above board and in compliance with local regulations.
Thank you very much gentlemen! Now I see this business from a right perspective. And know the range :). Actually I was talking about doing these for "fun" mostly, I mean for personal development.
Thanks Kenneth, I'll try to find that book, I am definitely interested...
Best wishes!
I set up a relatively simple microbiology laboratory for food microbiology. It cost me around $30k NZ including the building, which was attached to an existing building. I guess if you want complex apparatus, then that is an added consideration, but I was able to do food testing and culture development.
Thank you, guys! I was actually thinking about working on volvox and inferior metazoa... Excepting for staining stuff I don't think to work on something toxic. Only for my own development. Hope someday in near future I'll be able to set such a laboratory. Thanks again!
The biohacking movement is called DIY Bio. You can find the current network in Europe for DIY Bio movement in the following website:
http://www.diybio.eu/european-diy-bio-network/
You could set up one such laboratory in Turkey and expand the DIY Bio movement there. Get in touch with these guys if you are really keen to initiate such movement at your place, they are professionals and could offer you a lot of useful advices on starting your own laboratory :)
You can get information in small scale industry investment scheme (R & D) in your State and Federal investment schemes. However, you need to satisfy the requirements for hazard prevention, ethics, protocols and State Gov't / police permission of microbiology lab as an essential basis. I doubt whether you can set up Microbiology lab within community without any restrictions. Any animal or human cells use need proper permissions . If all are okay, this should not take more than $ 100,000. 00 per year. Now it's on you, how much will be your targeted profit line.
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