Expecting SynBio-triggered DiyBio / DIYバイオについて雑感

Extracting DNA at home is indeed really exciting. In the same way, Do-It-Yourself biology, or DIYbio visualizes myths behind your life. If you are fascinated, it is more than expected, at least form an educational aspect of DIYbio. However, the current synthetic biology-triggered DIYbio has more potential, potential that empowers people by personalizing flows between information and materials. It could provide power, not just a product or information themselves, but power to produce something substantial.
Put the other dimensions of synthetic biology aside. Information processing is better done in computer-based machines. For mass production of chemicals, personal lab is not cost-effective at all. For a fine reaction like lab on chip, MEMS will do the best. On the other hand, DIYbio, or personalized synthetic biology, has its own advantages: With it, you can produce desired substances at any time and places in a very small scale but at low costs.
Of course, in reality, you cannot do many things. Apart from institutional labs, construction and detailed analysis of desired biological processes are impossible. What little you could do is to edit a system and monitor the final output.
Then you need a set of tools for cheaper synthesis, experiments, and production. Fortunately, such tools are becoming available. For instance, the price of DNA synthesis has surprisingly dropped, prediction tools such as FBA that avoid unnecessary trial and errors has become sophisticated, and scientific resources like academic journals and bio-directed programming languages and databases are more widely available.
Given more sophisticated toolboxes and growing networks of DIYbio communities, it is surely possible to prepare bio-based infrastructure, for example, by developing a personalized and portable, productive, and purpose-directed bio-based hardware and software, or wetware. All of this would be just a dream at this moment, but time goes faster as you would think now.

(well, I will have to change or sophisticate this content later, but this is what I am expecting now about diybiology.)

（日本語で。意訳というか略。）
　個人的には、DIYバイオの本質は、「情報から物質の流れが個人のものになること」と思っています。情報処理はコンピュータの専売特許だし、精密な化学反応はMEMSが対応するし、物質の大量生産には工場がある。情報をベースとして、少量かつ安価な物質の生産方法を探るのが、実際的なDIYバイオとなるのではないでしょうか。
　その上で、キッチンでDNAやタンパク質を抽出したりすること、ミクロ・ナノの世界を芸術として楽しむことは、注目を浴びるため、そしてこの分野に関わるための初めの一歩となるかもしれない、と思っています。