BioCurious is the first hackerspace for biology, open to anyone from any background who’s interested in science. We made our official launch announcement today. See us on Hacker News.

Think science is just for geeks in lab coats or little kids growing bean trees in styrofoam cups? Time for a rethink. Science has gone DIY. Thousands of people around the world are part of a new brand of research called DIYbio. This group has thousands of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and students. And lots of artists. This is the kind of collaboration you just don’t get inside institutions.

DIYbiologists are some of the most passionate and creative souls I’ve ever met. I absolutely believe these folks will change the world. Their brains and stick-to-it-ive-ness will help them make discoveries where others might give up for lack of funding, or out of an inability to get published for their work. And because I believe in them, and believe in the power of open, collaborative science, a couple years ago, I put my (proverbial) money where my mouth was.

After some interviews, I found out some members of the Bay Area DIYbio community were excited about science but had paused in their research. Turns out, they were rich in enthusiasm, smarts, and frequently, in capital, but lacked time, access to equipment, and mentors. It seemed like an easy fix: get space; fill it with equipment, professional scientists, amateurs, and beanbags, and make sure the culture stayed open and friendly.

Long story short (get the longer story on our official announcement), the fix was BioCurious. This home for pros, hackers, their families, and friends is now open. We offer co-working, office space, lab space, and dry and cold storage. Check us out on biocurious.org, and for a limited time, get a free day pass.

BioCurious is a non-profit company that is completely volunteer-run. We only exist due to help from the community. A big, virtual hug to our 580+ members, our volunteer staff and especially to the founding team: Kristina Hathaway, Tito Jankowski, Joseph Jackson, Josh Perfetto, and Raymond McCauley. We’ve done something big, and I hope you’ll join us as we change the world of science.