What is DNA Tinker Studio?
Harness the tools and techniques of Rapid DNA Prototyping to
build your own sophisticated genetic circuits. This powerful set
of modular parts enables you to determine your own complex
projects. The power of synthetic biology has never been so
accessible!
![]()
![]()
![]()
DNA Tinker Studio explodes at SXSW 2015 in Austin! Panel with Synbiota CEO Connor Dickie, Director of the MIT Media Lab Joi Ito, Inventor of "Moore's Law for Biotech" Rob Carlson, and UPenn School of Fine Art Professor Orkan Telhan.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Use DNA Tinker Studio to design, build and grow microbes that fluoresce!
![]()
Use DNA Tinker Studio to design, build and grow microbes that turns simple sugar into medically important compounds like Violacein!
![]()
Even use DNA Tinker Studio to design, build and grow a living thermometer that senses the temperature and lets you know how hot it is by smell. And that's just the beginning!
![]()
With many incredible possibilities for what you can create, this kit
is not only the most accessible Life Science learning tool available, it’s
a powerful collection of parts ready to be used immediately in
your research lab.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
DNA Tinker Studio is a collection of 59 Rapid DNA Prototyping (RDP)
Standardized parts which allow you to quickly and reliably build a great
deal of biotechnology projects.
![]()
DNA Tinker Studio includes all the parts from our prior kits (Rainbow Factory, Violacein Factory, & Hello World) — plus a
handful of new parts that allow advanced users incredible flexibility.
With this collection you have the freedom
to build sophisticated genetic circuits that can sense and react according to your choosing.
Design a genetic circuit that includes a wide array of
regulators, including fixed or tunable promoters,
operators with activators or repressors, and plasmid
backbones with different copy numbers.
Use different producers and product modifiers,
including the components of the Violacein and Lux
operons, chromophores, scents, cleavable and
non-cleavable protein linkers
— and more!
![]()
![]()
With Synbiota, virtual and physical are harmonized as genetic
designs translate seamlessly from the computer to the petri dish
![]()
Synbiota's integrated suite of software and wetware solutions empowers you to create your own genetic constructs with unparalleled speed and reliability.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
"An exciting hands-on tool to introduce
artists and designers to the world of synthetic biology. Elements of
the kit are well designed and simple to use. A great example of allowing
people to think about biological components as potential media for
visual and design processes. Well done!"
- Raphael Kim, Royal College of Art, London, UK.
"It’s a great way to introduce people
with no science background to the principles of synthetic biology. At
Genspace we use it for outreach events such as science and technology
fairs, and also for teaching classes to the general public."
- Ellen Jorgensen, Genspace NYC http://genspace.org/
"One word: awesome! At MadLab, we've
used Synbiota in a workshop context – that you can take a roomful of
amateur biologists, with little or no laboratory experience, and have
them building custom genetic constructs within a matter of hours is
incredible; inconceivable only a few years ago and a testimony to the
achievements of the Synbiota team."
- Asa Calow, Manchester Digital Labratory http://madlab.org.uk/
"The whole bead concept is quite
brilliant and presents countless potential opportunities to customize
the genetic engineering lab for different students/groups and allow them
to develop and test their own hypotheses in experiments of their
design. The method is easy for students to follow, and they found it
very stimulating."
- Tim Gannon, AP Biology Teacher, Tempo School http://temposchool.org/
"Disruptively simple, robust and effective"
- FBI Biological Countermeasures Unit
"Thank you so much for your dedication and guidance, and - most importantly - thank you for inspiring a new way of thinking about making that will enter our every project from now on. We very much look forward to growing more and to more to grow with your incredible team at Synbiota”- Neri Oxman, Professor Media Arts, & Presidential Fellow @ MIT Media Lab![]()
![]()
protective gloves
microcentrifuge tubes (1.5 mL)
6 cm petris dishes
pipet tips (for 5, 20, 50, and 250 μL volumes)
plastic spreader for plating bacteria
ice
bleach (for disposal and inactivation)
rubbing alcohol (optional for sterilization)
Equipment
pipets
ice bucket
discard containers
sharpies
microwave/autoclave
37 °C incubator
42 °C waterbath (with thermometer)
scale (for measuring LB agar powder)
UV illuminator to view fluorescent bacteria (optional)
Autoclave for disposal (optional)
![]()
![]()
Synbiota Inc., creator of the DNA Tinker Factory, and the RDP Standard is an integrated software and wetware platform that
enables you to explore the full potential of synthetic biology.
We're taking biotech beyond the walls of institutions,
universities, and large corporations and into the public realm.
Like an Arduino for living things, the growing collection of
modular RDP Standardized DNA parts can be rapidly
assembled into complex genetic circuits in hours instead of
weeks or months.
As an end-to-end platform, our standardized DNA parts are
complemented with web-based DNA design software that helps
you conceptualize your genetic circuits before you assemble
them. Our electronic lab book is host to protocols and allows
you to log your results as you design, assemble, test, and
iterate.
Our vision is to create a safe, open, and thriving ecosystem
where synbio knowledge and innovations are created and
exchanged.
![]()
Risks & Challenges
![]()
While we have been delivering DNA products based on the RDP standard for over 2 years, DNA Tinker Studio is our most ambitious product yet. With this comes some level of risk for backers, but we have been working to reduce this risk as much as possible so that backers get a quality product that works every time.
The science is done, so we're good to go. This is not vaporware that is shipping (or not shipping ) years from now. The biggest risk that we have identified for this campaign is one of quality control during manufacturing. We’re making custom DNA parts that fit together easily like LEGO® - but we’re working on the molecular scale. Far smaller than the eye, or even an optical microscope can see. Sometimes things can go wrong.
Professor Mike Ellison, Inventor of the RDP standard, and Chief Science Officer at Synbiota has devised an ingenious manufacturing process that allows us to detect flaws in the early stages of product creation. This allows us to either fix or replace flawed parts with ones that meet our high quality standards. In fact, this Quality Control mechanism has been in use for the creation of both Violacein Factory and Rainbow Factory kits that we have already been selling, both of which had zero reports of any flaws from the hundreds of customers that have bought our kits.
