iGEMers guide to SynthBioPunk

The aim of this blog is to share snippets from the lives of people who live in a world where Synthetic Biology has integrated seamlessly into their everyday lives. We get to see how everyday things such as food, health, fuel, advertising, pets, entertainment and clothing have been revolutionized due to advances in this field. We also get to see the state of The Registry.

Intertwined with these aspects that apply to the general population come the personal stories of the characters involved:

K. is a biopunk working for a beer company and doing some tweaking in his spare time. He complains about a lot of things, but also embraces the perks that personal augmentation can bring. Underneath this seemingly bland life he hides a noble purpose, showing that even the little guys can dream big and, if they try hard enough, their dreams might see the light of reality.

A. started working for the Department of Health and Security after many low-end jobs and is tasked with making sure that synthetic biology is not abused. A bioterrorist attack has already happened in the past, so the government is doing its best to prevent such a tragedy from ever repeating itself. She is trying to fight the good fight while constantly being amused by how the simple things in life have changed.

S. is a child who marvels at all the wonders Synthetic Biology has brought us, and can enjoy these things without having to worry about how it all works underneath the surface and what ramifications its misuse can have.

We follow these stories that culminate in an event that will change the lives of the characters forever - whether it be for better or for worse will be up to you, the reader, to find out.

9:30 AM, The Aftermath, The Future

A.

I watch from my lab as the new department sets is gears in motion. They are good people - people I shared the vision of developing world-changing devices with during a summer at University. It amuses me to see that even though we never got out bio-electric interface to work, the industry took to the idea and developed it into what is now an indispensable piece of technology that is found everywhere. Maybe this time we can actually change the world for the better, given the resources and time Boss has graciously put at our disposal.

There is a nagging feeling of guilt in my brain - I stopped receiving my free beer shipments after the incident at the conference - could it be that K. actually went to that conference? He always used to make fun of me for enjoying attending and talking at such occasions, said it did not fit his style and he’d rather find out about advancements from the web. I still send him invites from time to time just to grief him. Then again, I haven’t talked to him in years and boy, can a lot of things change in a few years. Biohackers turn into heads of department and heads of department turn into corrupt biopunks.

And the great wheel of life keeps turning.

9:47, That Fateful Day, The Future

K.

The pain is all that remains. Crawling in a puddle of my own blood I’m on the verge of losing consciousness. At least they ignore me now, and the pain is starting to go away. I close my eyes and fall into the warm cloud of my own thoughts. Is it my fault? I wanted to change the world for the better, give people the freedom they deserve. I started my own DIY lab, I had plans for the future, everything was supposed to turn out fine. But not anymore.
I didn’t ask for it, I never wanted to be a self-proclaimed freedom fighter. But someone has to when the knowledge and technology is taken away from the people. Is this the consequence of my own choices and actions or of the very thing I was fighting against - the laws and restrictions that were supposed to stop slaughters like this one?
As I cease to feel my legs I hear a voice saying "you owe me one mate" and loud sirens somewhere in the distance. I try to reach for the nameless murderer but he disappears as I hear a gunshot. And another, followed by a loud cannonade. It doesn’t matter. I’m already dead. Someone drags my body, the body of a deadman. My clothes are being ripped off, the sirens seem to fade and get louder at the same time.
I feel wet drops on my bare skin, rain falling down on my shoulders. It's raining... It always rains in hell.

3:20 PM, That Fateful Day, The Future

A.

‘This is how it will be - I will keep working for you, doing what I’ve been doing for the past five  years while you will fund a new department to develop cheap, easy to administer implants that ward people from the most common pathogens. I’m tired of seeing so many people suffer from the things whose existence most of us have nearly forgotten about already. Nothing can help make up for the lives you’ve taken but at least you can give some other people their lives back, or a chance to live at all.’ The pharmacology industry could have done this years ago but that would have meant that nobody would be paying them lots of money for the well-established, easy to afford drugs, so they’ve been heavily subsidizing our other projects to stop us from doing it ourselves.

‘Silly girl, you have no right to make demands of me, it is my money and I can do what I want with it. I own you, too, and I could make sure you will stay silent about this. Permanently.’

‘Actually, you’ll find that the money comes from the taxes people pay. They were paying you to protect them and instead they paid for their own deaths. And as I said, get rid of me and the consequences will be dire.’

After a long moment, he realizes that he is defeated. Might as well cut his losses and give in, this can only end badly for him if he tries to outsmart me, and he knows it. ‘Very well’ , he says, ‘I await a list of candidates you suggest for this department. Leave now.’

3:12 PM, That Fateful Day, The Future

A.

Once I’ve recovered from my bewilderment at what’s been going on under my nose, I start to think of what else I could do to not only prevent this from happening again but also to actually reverse this somehow and turn it into something good. I knock on Boss’ door, poker face on, good thing I’ve done as much public engagement as I’ve done biology.

‘Enter’, a voice ragged from so many cigars, says.

I stroll in, walking slowly but with a lot of determination in each step, my face calm as the most placid lake. I sit down, place the evidence in front of him, and say ‘I know everything’.

A quick glance at the documents, a split second of fear in his eyes, then that smile, that horrible, reassuring corporate smile creeps across his face as he reaches for the button to summon security.

‘Wait. Get rid of me now and soon everyone will know how you’ve been using them as guinea pigs. Let’s be civilized about this. Let’s talk business.’ My voice didn’t even shake, not once, that’s good. His hand hovers over the button for a few seconds before returning to the desk. At least they put someone clever in charge.

9:38 AM, That Fateful Day, The Future

K.

It’s too late to run now, the harm is already done. As the latent toxins become activated I feel the infection unleashing its full potential upon my body. The stinging pain in my stomach nearly paralyses me as I fall to the ground and beg for death. The thin fog of the protein activating gas spreads throughout the conference centre. More and more people fall into violent convulsions, some of them start spitting and vomiting blood. Everyone reacting in a slightly different way, each organism trying to fight off the pathogen. There’s a morbid beauty in all this. I try to crawl towards the exit, hoping that it’s not too late for me, that maybe I can be saved. 
I feel a glimpse of hope as I see people in hazmat suits enter the building. They look around, I cannot distinguish the words they're speaking but as they walk further into the building, ignoring the carnage, it doesn't take me long to realise what's going on. They are here to use the chaos caused by the outbreak of the microbes. This was a precisely planned attack and now they are harvesting the crops. God knows what their target is, nevermind the collateral damage. Maybe that’s my chance, they don’t care whether I live or die, so I try to crawl past them. One of them gets closer and kicks me in the stomach. The pain is overwhelming, the blood I vomit covers my body and hands...

2:24 PM, That Fateful Day, The Future

A. 

This has to stop, now. Countries should be working together on preventing any dangers to their people, not secretly working on ways of developing weapons of mass destruction and testing them out on their own people - or any people, for that matter. I thought that after the fuel crisis was solved, there would be nothing more to war about. Old habits die hard, I guess. 
What should I do with this newfound information? If I run to the Biohazard Trust, there is a large chance Boss has some story ready with which to frame me and pin this all as my doing; that would be the end of the road for me and I’d get to sit in a cell for the rest of my life, at best. If I sit here and pretend to be none the wiser, my own personal integrity will be at stake. There must be a golden mean. And there is, I just need to copy these files onto several chips and give them to people I trust with the instructions that they should go straight to both the Biohazard Trust and every major media outlet as soon as none of them hear from me for more than a week.

9:35 AM, That Fateful Day, The Future

K.

The presentation was interesting but I cannot say I have learned anything new. Just the usual discussion about safety and concerns about new technologies. It's the same as 20 years ago, it's going to be the same 20 years from now. Still, I find it useful to keep up to date with the way that scientists view the public. What I’m really looking forward to is the presentation in the afternoon. A big corporate fish is going to present the results of his research on stem cells and the rumour has it that he even brought some top secret samples for demonstration. A bit reckless, I’d say, but who am I to judge.
The problem is that after the talk I feel weak and nauseated and all kinds of horrible. A good opportunity to complain some more about the way people handle microbes but it's already a full time hobby for me and I’m here to relax. As everything is pretty much ready for the highlight of the conference,  I notice that I’m not the only one groaning in pain. More and more people are shaking and becoming overwhelmed by weakness. Something’s not right here. 
As the symptoms become more violent and people start to cough blood I realise that the poisoning wasn’t accidental at all. I'll be lucky to leave the conference with my internal organs not turned into a bloody pulp.

2:00 PM, That Fateful Day, The Future

A.

I can’t believe this - I’ve worked here for five years and they just took every bit of research my department has done on preventing and remedying the release of harmful organisms, turned it on its head and mixed it up and said ‘Hey, let’s see what would happen if we tested these on unsuspecting idiots’. I guess that’s one way of modeling what would happen in the event of an accidental or deliberate release. What a sneaky way of doing it too, always assigning someone else to inspect these outbreaks so nobody gets suspicious. And here I was, thinking I’m fighting the good fight and stopping all those garage biopunks that parents scare their children with (Eat your vegetables or the biopunks will take mommy and daddy away), when the real enemy was signing my paychecks with a smile on its face, cigar in mouth and expensive whiskey in hand. Let the world burn, just a little at a time, if it means a more secure future. A future for whom, should their plans go awry and a deliberate release can’t be contained?

8:30 AM, That Fateful Day, The Future

K.

I refocus my thoughts onto the present and look around the conference centre.I can tell that if my tax money is going to get wasted, it might as well be be wasted on something like this. The flashy hall sends a clear message: science is everywhere and in everything, and synthetic biology is the major player. Not the only one, obviously, but it was ‘the next big thing’ not so long ago. And it would still be flourishing if it wasn't for the fear coming from the public. Even when it's impossible to define "the public" because nearly everyone knows a little bit about the basics of genetics. I guess it just makes it easier to manipulate people. Information doesn’t give you power unless you know how to use it.
With these thoughts I sit in the lecture theatre, feeling like a young student again, ready to absorb the knowledge that speaks to you from every corner of the room. Or you know, get wasted and pass out in a bed not necessarily my own. I lean back as the room starts to fill and we're being served fresh tea and coffee. "Thermobacter infused" of course. A bunch of hypocrites, keeping bacteria with real potential locked away while they fill their stomachs with this junk. It's better than water I guess, especially when I don't know where it came from.

1:32 PM, That Fateful Day, The Future

A.

This doesn’t seem right. Apparently the coffee was checked and given the green light. The system has only failed to detect something particularly obscure a handful of times, but most of those mistakes were noticed and the products were recalled before release. This Ebola sequence, on the other hand, was completely unmodified (except for the replication augmentation segment), there is no way that our sequencers would have missed that. Maybe the machine was faulty, I should consult the engineers tasked with its maintenance.

Their preliminary systems diagnostic is back, apparently that machine has shown several faults over the past two years. Why was I not informed of these malfunctions? I cross-check the dates of the malfunctions with suspected or confirmed bioterror attacks. They all coincide. This certainly presents an interesting conundrum. These accidental releases were either caused by genuinely faulty machinery (why wouldn’t they just replace it after several mishaps?) or someone deliberately did this. Good thing I have a high security clearance, it should let me access all the encrypted records. You’d think that with such a high requirement to keep meticulous notes of absolutely everything that happens, someone would actually read those reports and would have noticed this long ago. I guess some things never change and lab records will just sit in some server, gathering virtual dust.

8:15 AM, That Fateful Day, The Future

K.
As people start filling the lecture theatre I can't help noticing their bored faces, taking the science for granted. And I keep thinking about the other day, when I took the risk and leaped into the new chapter of my life.

Wearing a white lab coat I walk at steady pace, not looking behind. Act normal, pretend that I know what I’m doing and why I'm here. Well, I do know this but I'd rather not have other people realise. Fortunately for me, the hospital is full of students and staff so blending in shouldn't be too much trouble. Getting a security clearance wasn't easy but I know people, even though I can hardly call them my friends.
I find the lab I was looking for - it's so clean and tidy that it's scary. Quite empty as well, I guess it's my lucky day. Now I only need to find the storage freezer and be on my way back home.
Except some guy is walking towards me.
- Excuse me, but...
I shove my papers to his face and hope he's too young to be important around here.
- I'm in a little bit of hurry here so please stop bothering me.
He's clearly puzzled, good for me.
- I...yaa, I just thought you might show me where we keep the competent cells, since you're going to the freezer anyway...
Jackpot! He's new here and maybe I can push my luck a little further...
- Sure, do you at least remember where the stem cells stocks are? The cells you need should right next to them.
- Yes, of course, I saw people working with them before and...
- Yes, that's great, why don't we just get you some.
My heart is pounding, I can barely hear my own thoughts. I think karma is catching up with me for the whole riot mess because I actually found some competent cells as well. I grab some stem cells and enzymes and let the guy go back to his work. He'll never know...

8:14 AM, That Fateful Day, The Future

K.

As I settle into my seat and watch the people running around trying to get this show started, I think of the stuff I've done over the last few days. It took a while to get over the shock of what happened in that alleyway, but, as all things, that passed too.

I've finally managed to start working again. Whatever happens I just don't think I can throw the eppendorfs into the bin and start a new life. Shit happens but life goes on and I cannot swim against the current of events. I go with the flow instead and see what happens. Sometimes I'd rather close my eyes but I always believe that in the end it's going to be worth it.
The show must go on, I swallow some pills with a carefully picked hormone cocktail to keep me awake. It's not exactly legal but then again, what is these days? I wouldn't even be able to get any alcohol at a decent price if I wasn't working in BeerGen. I don't think I can screw up my body and mind any further just with some simple chemicals. And for some reason I could never stand caffeine except the small dose that comes with my favourite tea. 

I set up a few overnight experiments and look up some data on the web. People from the network haven't even noticed my recent absence. Everyone is busy with their own work and I can't blame them for it, especially when I can get loads of useful protocols and tips from their experience. It feels nice to get back into the game.  

11:14 AM, That Fateful Day, The Future

A.

An engineered Ebola virus with a highly augmented replication speed inside Thermobacter. And it only starts to replicate after a high temperature shock. It could have been stored like that for who knows how long, then all those people just getting their morning kickstarter wake it up. Within a few minutes, it infects their white blood cells and liver cells, knocking out the body’s defence and detox mechanisms. Within a few more minutes, the body induces its own destruction and dies a horrible death. I’d call it ingenious if it weren’t so damned morbid. If whoever made it would have focused their efforts on something that could be beneficial instead, they would probably be working in their own state-funded lab, not in some garage somewhere. The problem is that this will be very hard to contain - not everyone drank their coffee on the spot as soon as they bought it and this thing can propagate through blood and coughs, spreading it to those who don’t even like coffee. At least we've got containment teams doing their best to stop it spreading too far.. How the infected Thermobacter got past security sequencing, I can’t say. I will get a report of where the coffee  (and tea, might as well check all hot drinks) came from shortly, maybe that will elucidate things.

8 AM, That Fateful Day, The future

K.

Time to dust off the old suit and polish the shoes. It seems that my self-justified criminal career has taken me really far away from the lifestyle most people call normal. I may remain cynical and sarcastic as much as I want but I can't deny that I miss events like this. A science conference may sound boring but it's an opportunity to meet unique people and have some real conversation, something that both the internet and the virtual reality simulations are still lacking. I'm a bit weary of the invitation though. Even though they get piled up on my desk every week, there is something ominous about getting one for an interesting conference just when I started working in the field. "What defines humanity? Dangers of stem cell research and bio-augmentation". The price I pay for the tickets is small, just a few beers once in a while open many doors for me. It's kind of sad how I think of my friends though, just another asset that can be used from time to time. Maybe a lecture about humanity is just what I need. Either way I've been locked in my man-cave for way too long. I can't miss such an opportunity to catch up with both my past and future life at the same time. Maybe I'll feel the same excitement that once accompanied me in the lab, maybe I'll hear about some genuinely exciting advance. Either way it's worth a try.