Democratized Science Instrumentation

One of a Series of Occasional Papers in Science and Technology Policy

Ariel Waldman

Occasional Papers in Science and Technology Policy provides a forum for invited authors to share research and offer thoughts on issues in this field. The Science and Technology Policy Institute developed the series at the request of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, part of the Executive Office of the President. A Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) chartered by Congress in 1991, the Science and Technology Policy Institute provides objective analyses on topics of interest to the Office of Science and Technology Policy and other Federal Government agencies, offices, and councils. The Institute is operated by the Institute for Defense Analyses, and its work for the Office of Science and Technology Policy is funded by the National Science Foundation. All papers published in this series reflect the views, opinions, and findings of the authors and do not represent the official positions of the Science and Technology Policy Institute, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Defense Analyses, or any institutions with which the authors are affiliated.

Democratized Science Instrumentation

Version 1.0, May 2012

Ariel Waldman http://arielwaldman.com ariel@arielwaldman.com

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Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................... 2 Landscape ...................................................................... 3 Communities and Social Structures ................................ 4 Recommendations .......................................................... 4 Conclusion....................................................................... 5 Instruments Air Quality Egg ....................................................... 6 Allergen Beagle ..................................................... 7 Astrometry.net ........................................................ 8 BOINC .................................................................... 9 Cellphone Microscope ......................................... 10 DremelFuge ......................................................... 11 eBird..................................................................... 12 EteRNA................................................................. 13 Eyewire................................................................. 14 Foldit .................................................................... 15 Galaxy Zoo ........................................................... 16 $21 Gel Box ......................................................... 17 High-altitude Ballooning....................................... 18 KickSat ................................................................. 19 MinION ................................................................. 20 Old Weather ......................................................... 21 OpenPCR ............................................................. 22 OpenROV ............................................................. 23 Phylo .................................................................... 24 Planet Hunters...................................................... 25 PSIgasm ............................................................... 26 SkyLight ............................................................... 27 SkyServer ............................................................. 28 SpikerBox ............................................................. 29 Whale FM ............................................................. 30

About the Guidebook This guidebook intends to provide a light introduction to democratized science instrumentation. Democratized science instrumentation refers to tools and systems, spanning both hardware and software, that significantly enhance or increase the opportunity of people to participate in scientific discovery or process. These instruments and their emerging social structures are considered signals or early indicators informing the guidebooks outlook on the future. The methods used in this research are qualitative, including interviewing key actors, documenting open information and drawing from contextual observations. Abstract The cost, size and accessibility of instrumentation are often some of the main barriers to entry in scientific exploration. These hurdles regularly inhibit individuals working outside of science institutions such as universities, research institutes and government agencies. Within the science industry, many scientists and researchers are working with limited resources and are thus affected by these same hurdles. This guidebook introduces an assortment of 25 instruments that are breaking down barriers by enabling open, accessible, cheap and citizen-led science. Introduction The emergent inaccessibility of science over the last several decades is the result of multiple man-made systems, including those that dictate how reputation is achieved. Being employed by a funded scientific
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institution increases an individuals reputation in part through providing access to professional-grade instrumentation. However, employment in these institutions is often restricted to individuals who have pursued a traditional graduate or doctorate degree in a directly relevant scientific field. Those working outside of scientific institutions often lack access to professional-grade instrumentation and are given titles that only refer to their non-participation in the current science reputation system, such as amateurs, nonexperts or citizen scientists. The lack of democratized instrumentation inherently creates a fragmented ecosystem that hinders multidisciplinary exploration, timetables for discovery, distributed knowledge and contributions by those outside of the science industry. All of these factors make a profound impact on the future of science and society as a whole. Landscape Prior to the mid-twentieth century, scientific exploration was often conducted by people who were self-funded and/or self-educated. Many heroes of science, such as Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, Roy Chapman Andrews, Thomas Edison and the Harvard Computers, could be considered amateurs by todays standards. Over the last few decades, science became more institutionalized, requiring a narrow set of employment and education credentials in order to be considered a scientist. This gatekeeping of who could conduct science influenced Paul Feyerabend, an established philosopher of science, to author Science In A Free Society in 1978 as a call for a more democratized science. In the 1990s, the term citizen science

emerged as a way of defining those who contribute to science outside of todays typical science institutions. In the last few years, citizen science has grown from a concept to a movement. A common incubator for the citizen science movement is the maker/hacker community. The maker/hacker community is a collective of people who have become empowered by creating, modifying or tinkering with hardware and software to create clever and more accessible solutions to a wide variety of problems. Community participants typically collaborate online and in dedicated physical spaces known as hackerspaces. In the last few years, many hackerspaces and groups dedicated to open biotech exploration, such as BioCurious, have set up shop1. MAKE, one of the premiere magazines for the maker/ hacker community, dedicated an entire issue to doit-yourself (DIY) space exploration in 20102. Most recently, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began contract negotiations with a Hackerspaces Global Space Program project aimed at enhancing cooperation between multiple hackerspaces working on projects related to space exploration3. While there is a note-worthy groundswell around citizen science, there are still a number of challenges and obstacles to overcome for the movement to gain broader success. One challenge is that those who work inside science institutions sometime refer to democratized science instrumentation as cute or a toy. These
1 2 3 http://diybio.org/local/ http://makezine.com/24/ http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces_Global_Space_Program 3

terms are often aimed at downplaying the impact that the instruments can make in the process of scientific discovery and at discouraging peers from participating in extracurricular activities. A recent study submitted to PLoS ONE found that similar negative grooming took place with academic biologists and physicists who were interested in participating in public outreach4. Another challenge that faces democratized science instrumentation is global distribution. Many people in countries around the world face issues with restrictive importing, inadequate internet connectivity, power unreliability and lack of common hardware. All of these issues greatly impact the development and reach of democratized science instrumentation and point to a need for wider support to achieve success on a global scale. Communities and Social Structures Most support for democratized science instrumentation currently comes from various collaborative communities and social structures that encourage cross-pollination between industries and disciplines. Collaborative events like Science Hack Day bring scientists, designers, developers and passionate people together in the same physical space to see what ideas they can rapidly prototype over 24 consecutive hours. The unexpected creations and collaborations that emerge from Science Hack Day often inspire new contributions to science. Enabling new contributions to science on a larger scale
4 http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal. pone.0036240

are prize competitions. One example is the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a $30 million competition to build and launch a lunar spacecraft by 2015. The competition is paving the way for people outside of government agencies to actively be involved in space exploration. Another example is Mapping Dark Matter, a competition that simply opened up a scientific problem for anyone to submit solutions to. Within a week of asking people to create better algorithms to map dark matter, a student in glaciology created an algorithm that outperformed existing ones5. Larger community support is vital to the success of any democratized science instrumentation emerging out of these various collaborations and competitions. A variety of web and technology platforms are already playing a large role in nurturing such instruments. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter help projects in need of financial support and are able to expose sciencespecific endeavors to a much larger group of people. Collaborative platforms like GitHub help organize and streamline open source projects. Kinect, the 3D scanning device created by Microsoft, has spurred an online open recipe marketplace where people share their tips and tricks. Specific to citizen science, the Zooniverse, provides an online home to many science projects requiring collective human analysis. Recommendations for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Cross-pollination holds a piece to the puzzle of making democratized science instrumentation both more
5 http://host.kaggle.com/casestudies/mdm 4

successful and more accessible. By having a fresh set of eyes from those who solve different types of problems across a variety of industries, clever solutions often emerge. Cross-pollination can be better supported through the creation of more job/contract opportunities in scientific institutions for noteworthy individuals working outside of the science industry. Booting up programs similar to NASAs previous CoLab, a program that connected communities inside and outside of NASA to collaborate, could affect change for both scientific institutions and the democratization of science instrumentation6. For those outside of typical science institutions and corporate structures, navigating how to work with democratized science instrumentation is often a nebulous task. Better guidance systems could be provided by the U.S. government for individuals and organizations tasked with anything from needing to obtain lab equipment certifications to getting advice on how to turn their prototypes into products. Common needs are: more guidance, access to various resources and access to experts from business, design and technical disciplines. By creating an online space that provides clear paths for achieving various goals related to working with democratized science instrumentation, government agencies/programs would be providing more support for its future. Finally, more emphasis should be placed on thoughtful community engagement between government agencies
6 http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20100528095905/http://colab.arc. nasa.gov/colab

and maker/hacker communities. While there have been efforts to mingle the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Department of Defense (DOD) with emerging hackerspaces and maker/hacker communities, further work is needed to make these relationships more agreeable and less intimidating. Ongoing conversations, conferences and collaborative workshops between these two entities have the potential to create an improved relationship. By working together on tasks like formulating plans, revising regulations (e.g. the International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and building resources, valuable solutions are likely to emerge. Conclusion Many signals exist today that point to a potential shift in the next several years of where scientific discoveries come from and who can actively contribute to science. Democratized science instruments are building a foundation to actively disrupt closed and fragmented science institutions. Democratized science instrumentation is less about replicating lab equipment and more about being empowered to create new instrumentation to explore the often overlooked, underfunded and fringe areas of science. Acknowledgements Thank you to those who generously shared their insights, experiences and help: Joseph Elsbernd, Eri Gentry, Tim Koeth, David Lang, Ken Mankoff, Cameron Neylon, Lina Nilsson, Mason Peck, Bre Pettis, Arfon Smith and Adrien Treuille.
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Air Quality Egg

Overview The Air Quality Egg is a device that is able to sense air quality in outdoor environments and transmit collected data via a radio frequency base station to an open online network of citizen scientists. The project is open source and plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign soon to fund development and deployment of more Air Quality Eggs. The community hopes to create future applications with the data collected that map clean air hotspots and provide advice to commuters1. Pro Equipment Comparison The project intends to use off-the-shelf components to lower the cost of scientific equipment that can cost anywhere between hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars23. Specs Two carbon monoxide sensors from Futurelec & e2v One nitrogen dioxide sensor (e2v MICS-2710) Temperature and humidity sensors Future prototypes may include Sharp dust sensors, carbon dioxide sensors, methane sensors, ozone gas sensors, natural gas sensors and propane sensors4
1 http://groups.google.com/group/airqualityegg/browse_thread/thread/ a6e0f617955e8df 2 http://www.labsafety.com/ 3 http://chemengineering.wikispaces.com/Air+quality+measurement+in struments+and+methods 4 http://airqualityegg.wikispaces.com/Hardware-Sensors 6

Air Quality Egg

Web http://airqualityegg.wikispaces.com Principal Investigators Internet of Things Amsterdam & NYC Meetups Eyebeam

Allergen Beagle
Overview The Allergen Beagle is intended to be a home food scanner for detecting potential allergic reaction-inducing substances1. The system is able to detect the presence of peanuts, shellfish, gluten, lactose, hazelnut, egg, soy, almonds and sesame. Pro Equipment Comparison The Allergen Beagle remains in a concept design phase and doesnt provide enough data to make an accurate comparison to professional equipment at this time. Specs Built-in test tube design Built-in sample mixing Detects 9 common allergens

Allergen Beagle

Allergen Beagle

Web http://yankodesign.com/2011/03/22/sniffing-out-allergens Principal Investigators Sebastian Goudsmit, industrial design student

1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJEcmtI5kt4 7

Astrometry.net
Overview Astrometry.net is an astrometry engine that can automatically provide standards-compliant astrometric metadata for online astronomy images. The engine releases its code and algorithms publicly and provides support for mirroring. Astrometry.net is actively creating a larger pool of interoperable, searchable data between amateur and professional astronomers. Pro Equipment Comparison From Astrometry.net: If there are a few thousand US ground-based observing programs annually with a person-week or so spent on astrometry, an astrometry engine would effectively pay the entire astrophysics community a few million US dollars per year in perpetuity.1 Specs Inverted index Geometric hashing Code is invariant to scale, translation and rotation2 Supports web, Flickr, Linux, unix and Mac usage

Filippo Ciferri

Web http://astrometry.net Principal Investigators David W. Hogg, physics educator Dustin Lang, astrophysics researcher
1 2 pdf http://astrometry.net/summary.html http://cosmo.nyu.edu/hogg/research/2006/09/28/astrometry_google. 8

BOINC
Overview The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) is an open source platform for distributed computing. Distributed computing uses otherwise idle computer processing time from personal computers and distributes it to scientific projects in need, giving them computing power on par with supercomputers. The BOINC platform supports many scientific research projects (most famously SETI@home) across astrophysics, climate change, medicine, biology and more. Pro Equipment Comparison BOINC is a free virtual platform to use. The fastest project on BOINC, Folding@home has reported 8.1 petaflops of performance1. Supercomputers typically cost millions of dollars to build and operate and take up thousands of square feet. The Tianhe-1A cost $88 million to build and $20 million a year to operate with a peak 4.701 petaflops performance2. The fastest supercomputer, K computer, has reached 10.51 petaflops3. Specs Available for Windows, Mac or Linux devices
1 http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=osstats 2 http://www.chinatechgadget.com/tianhe-1-supercomputer-milestonefor-chinas-supercomputer-industry.html 3 http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/ month/2011/20111102-02.html 9

humiksk

Web http://boinc.berkeley.edu Principal Investigators David P. Anderson, developer Rom Walton, developer Charlie Fenton, developer

Cellphone Microscope
Overview A simple recipe for turning an iPhone 4 into a 350x microscope by taping a 1mm ball lens directly to the mobile devices camera lens. The cellphone microscope can be used to diagnose clinical pathologies. The recipe has been used to study stained and unstained blood smears among other applications. Pro Equipment Comparison 1mm ball lenses cost around $15-2512. Commercial 400x microscopes can cost around $100, weigh ~7 lbs. and include built-in illumination features3. Specs 350x microscope 1.5 micron resolution Usable field-of-view of ~150150m with no image processing ~350350m when post-processing is applied Set-up may require the use of a small ring of black rubber to aid in light baffling, double-sided tape for adhering parts and a white LED for illumination

Justin Fantl Smith ZJ, Chu K, Espenson AR, Rahimzadeh M, Gryshuk A, et al.

Web http://plosone.org/article/ info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017150 Principal Investigators Zachary J. Smith, researcher Kaiqin Chu, researcher Alyssa R. Espenson, researcher Mehdi Rahizadeh, researcher Amy Gryshuk, researcher Marco Molinaro, researcher Denis M. Dwyre, researcher Stephen Lane, researcher Dennis Matthews, researcher Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu, researcher

1 http://www.edmundoptics.com/products/displayproduct. cfm?productid=2050 2 https://www.cvimellesgriot.com/Products/Ball-Lenses-for-DiodeLasers.aspx 3 http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-44102-Laboratory-BiologicalMicroscope/dp/B000Q7964S 10

DremelFuge
Overview DremelFuge is a rotor that fits onto a drill to create a centrifuge that holds standard microcentrifuge tubes and miniprep columns. Centrifuges are often used to separate cell structures or isolate various items for further study and use. Among its many functions, DremelFuge can be used to collect proteins, extract plasmids and to purify DNA after enzymatic reactions1. Pro Equipment Comparison DremelFuge is an open hardware design that can be downloaded for free to be 3D printed with a MakerBot. Alternatively, you can purchase a professionally 3D printed design for around $50 on Shapeways. Comparable centrifuges can cost around $5002. Specs Up to 6 samples at a time Designs available for 5mm diameter bore and chuck grips Requires standard 1.5ml/2ml Eppendorf/ Microcentrifuge tubes 16krpm on a drill matches commercial centrifuges Dremel 300 capable of delivering 33krpm matches ultracentrifuges

Cathal Garvey

Web http://thingiverse.com/thing:1483 Principal Investigators Cathal Garvey, synthetic biologist

1 2

http://www.shapeways.com/model/77306/dremelfuge-classic.html http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1483 11

eBird
Overview eBird is an online collective database of bird observations made by anyone. These observations include tracking the presence, absence and abundance of a bird species1. The data is then shared with educators, land managers, ornithologists and conservation biologists. Real-time data from eBird can be used to track seasonal movements and distribution patterns that may point to climate change or other environmental factors. Pro Equipment Comparison Prior to central online repositories like eBird, bird watchers had difficulty in addressing scientific questions on a larger scale. eBird is able to capture more regular observation data than a team of scientists. Specs Available on web browsers Utilizes an online checklist program for observations
eBird

Web http://ebird.org Principal Investigators Cornell Lab of Ornithology Audubon

http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/science-use 12

EteRNA
Overview An online puzzle-solving game where players engineer new structures of RNA (ribonucleic acid), molecules that are essential for all life and many forms of viruses. The game acts as both an engaging way of educating people about biology and a potential aid to researchers who want to create better algorithms for scientific discovery in biology. The best designs, chosen by the online community, go on to be synthesized by scientists for biological and nanoengineering exploration. The hope is to be able to design RNA that could do a variety of things, including deactivating viruses.
EteRNA

Web http://eterna.cmu.edu Principal Investigators Rhiju Das, biochemistry educator Adrien Treuille, computer science educator

Pro Equipment Comparison EteRNA allows for anyone to engineer RNA structures that could go on to be synthesized in a lab, a process that is typically controlled only by scientists. Synthesizing and validating an RNA design can cost between $40801. The cost is not passed on to the EteRNA players, who use the game for free. Specs Browser-based game Online community forum and wiki

1 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?authkey=CLiS6oYN&key=0 Ao8h46iFyquldGtCRTZIdDk5dUVjVkJFdkhENzZRZ0E&hl=en&authkey=CLiS6o YN#gid=0 13

Eyewire
Overview A website that invites anyone to help make discoveries about the neural structure of the retina by mapping neurons and their connections. By mapping neurons and their connections, we can better understand how vision works. Scientists also hope to use the work done on Eyewire to improve computational technology that can lead to detecting brain miswirings that underlie autism and schizophrenia1. Pro Equipment Comparison Eyewire allows anyone to help build a connectome, a map of neural connections, using images produced from serial electron microscopy technology. In the 1970s, it took scientists over twelve years to produce such a map. Prior to Eyewire, mainly neuroscientists and researchers had access to this data. Specs Uses data from serial electron microscopy at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research One terabyte of data collected for analysis Available through web browsers

Eyewire

Web http://eyewire.org Principal Investigators http://eyewire.org/about

http://eyewire.org/neurons/ 14

Foldit
Overview Foldit is an online game that invites anyone to fold proteins into different structures that can potentially lead to various biological innovations. Folding proteins virtually helps predict protein structures and functions, making it possible for disease-curing drugs to effectively target specific proteins. In 2011, gamers solved the structure of an AIDS-like retrovirus enzyme that had been unsolved for over a decade1. Pro Equipment Comparison Prior to Foldit, the Rosetta project attempted to solve similar protein problems using algorithms amongst a team of research scientists. Foldit opens up the problems for anyone to be able to solve. Research scientists are involved in analyzing the highest scoring structures for potential breakthroughs in biology and medicine. Specs Download available for Mac, Windows and Linux Users able to share solutions with one another Scores based on the designs compactness, protection of hydrophobics against touching water, and ability to keep sidechains apart

Foldit

Web http://fold.it Principal Investigators David Baker, biochemist + computational biologist Zoran Popovic, computer scientist

http://scienceblog.com/47894/gamers-succeed-where-scientists-fail/ 15

Galaxy Zoo
Overview Galaxy Zoo is a website where anyone can help classify and potentially discover new galaxies. Classifying galaxies is important in understanding how the universe forms. The project currently utilizes images and data from NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. Galaxy Zoo users have discovered an entirely new type of galaxies, nicknamed the Green Peas, and a strange space phenomenon, known as Hannys Voorwerp1. Pro Equipment Comparison Through Galaxy Zoo, anyone can classify galaxies and investigate telescope data that could lead to scientific discoveries. Prior to Galaxy Zoo, the galaxy classification process was a task completed by astrophysics students and researchers. Together with the Galaxy Zoo team, Galaxy Zoo users have also been able to secure observational time on Hubble, something otherwise not very accessible to those outside scientific institutions2. Specs Available through web browsers Uses data from the Hubble Space Telescope

Galaxy Zoo

Web http://galaxyzoo.org Principal Investigators http://galaxyzoo.org/team

1 http://www.science20.com/news_articles/green_pea_galaxies_ another_win_citizen_science 2 http://www.science20.com/news_releases/dutch_amateur_ astronomer_finds_cosmic_ghost 16

$21 Gel Box

Overview Gel boxes are used to conduct gel electrophoresis, a process that separates DNA, RNA and/or proteins by applying an electrical charge. The separation of DNA, RNA and/or proteins allows the results to be analyzed for a variety of genetic tests. Pro Equipment Comparison This recipe costs around $21 in parts that you can construct yourself. However, this recipe provides a less safe gel box to work with than commercial gel boxes that better reduce electrocution risks. The Vari-Gel Horizontal Mini System costs $310.96 and provides a complete 7cm wide electrophoresis gel system1.
Joseph Elsbernd

Web http://citizensciencequarterly.com/2011/10/21/cheapassscience-gel-box/ Principal Investigators Joseph Elsbernd, biology student

Specs Materials needed: piece of acrylic, plastic storage boxes, 4 banana plugs, 2 banana jacks, 3 of 0.005 diameter platinum wire, 25 gauge wire, super glue, hot glue gun, glue sticks, 6steel leaders, clear tape, marker Tools needed: dremel, drill, drill bits, screw drivers, lighter Recipe creates cables, gel comb, casting tray, gel box

http://www.denvillescientific.com/Products.php?Cat=102&SubCat=53 17

High-altitude Ballooning
Overview High-altitude ballooning are a variety of data collection experiments conducted in near space (~30km high) via the use of high-altitude balloons as a launch vehicle. DIY recipes and experiments vary due to the easily replicable and ubiquitous nature of this instrument. Generally, a high-altitude balloon payload consists of a styrofoam box to act as a bus, a camera payload, GPS tracker(s), a ham radio, an antenna, batteries and an arduino or a smartphone. High-altitude ballooning can be used to test materials in high altitudes, capture images of the Earth from near-space and run various scientific experiments. Pro Equipment Comparison Prices for high-altitude ballooning can vary, but typically cost ~$150 for getting a payload up to ~30km. Small satellites like CubeSats can reach space (100km+), but can cost anywhere between $50,000-1,000,000 to build and launch. Specs ~30km height achievement with high-altitude balloons Styrofoam bus for lightweight material Use of arduino or smartphone GPS tracker(s) for easy recovery Camera payload Tank of helium required
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Spacebridge / Andrew Gerrand

Web N/A Principal Investigators N/A

KickSat
Overview KickSat is a project that intends to send numerous miniature spacecrafts (Sprites), that can be programmed by anyone, to space via a standard small satellite aboard a free rocket launch from one of NASAs educational programs. The Sprites contain solar cells, a radio transceiver, and a microcontroller with memory and sensors. The goal of KickSat is to lower the cost of space exploration enough for anyone to participate in it. Pro Equipment Comparison KickSat as a project is currently still in testing and development. Through Kickstarter, a fully-programmable Sprite was obtainable with a $1,000 donation. CubeSats can often cost between $50,000-1,000,000 to build and launch most of the money being used for the launch and in the ballpark of $15,000 being used for parts (though costs can vary based on many factors). Specs Uses a standard CubeSat for housing Sprites CubeSat designed to hold and launch hundreds of Sprites Sprites contain solar cells, a radio transceiver, a microcontroller, capacitors and antenna Intends to release open hardware and open software

KickSat

Web http://kicksat.org Principal Investigators Zac Manchester, aerospace engineering student

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MinION
Overview MinION is a disposable USB-powered DNA sequencer capable of sequencing simple genomes from bacteria and viruses in seconds using nanopore technology. The device works similar to a gel box, separating DNA via the use of an electrical current, only more precisely. MinION could be used for receiving quick results in the detection of cancer or identification of bone fragments and pathogens, among other applications1. Pro Equipment Comparison MinION is slated to be released in 2012 and cost less than $900 for a single-use device capable of sequencing one billion bases. Error rates are still a concern for nanopore sequencing. Lab sequencing machines can cost anywhere between $50,000-750,0002.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Web http://nanoporetech.com/technology/minion-aminiaturised-sensing-instrument Principal Investigators Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Specs Can sequence up to one billion bases Standard USB device Based on GridION platform Single molecule sensing Contains sensor chip, ASIC and nanopores

1 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21495-usb-stick-can-sequencedna-in-seconds.html 2 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/health/oxford-nanopore-unveilstiny-dna-sequencing-device.html 20

Old Weather
Overview Old Weather is an online project enlisting the help of anyone to decipher old ship weather logs in order to create better weather and climate change models that can improve our ability to predict what the weather will do in the future. Through enabling a large collective of people to unearth and identify data, the project is able to obtain more accurate historical weather information. The transcribed data goes on to be digitized and then analyzed by scientists, geographer, historians and anyone whos interested in accessing it. Pro Equipment Comparison Its estimated that ten transcriptions take ~30 years of work for one person1. Old Weather aims to achieve the same amount of work in six months, allowing the project to transcribe many otherwise untouched logs in a short amount of time.
Old Weather

Web http://oldweather.org Principal Investigators http://oldweather.org/team

Specs Available on web browsers Uses logs from the 18th to 20th century, including UK, India and China trade ships, Antarctica expeditions, etc.

http://www.oldweather.org/why_scientists_need_you 21

OpenPCR
Overview OpenPCR is a thermal cycler that acts like a photocopy machine for small segments of DNA. Copying or amplifying is often necessary to properly analyze DNA for a variety of experiments (e.g. genetic analyses, virus detection, etc.). So far, people have used OpenPCR in experiments to test for genetically-modified foods and in examining their own DNA1. Pro Equipment Comparison OpenPCR costs $599 and can run 16 reactions at a time. An open recipe exists for building your own PCR machine for ~$502. Traditional PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machines cost thousands of dollars. The StepOne Real-time PCR System can cost between $6000-17,000 and can run 48 reactions at a time with real-time monitoring3. Specs 16 PCR samples + Heated Lid Build it yourself kit (~3 hours to build, 13x20x25cm) Open source design Control from your Mac or PC Input power 100-120 VAC, 220-240 VAC, 200 W max You need: standard Phillips head screwdriver, small 2mm Phillips head screwdriver, and needle nose pliers
1 http://openpcr.org/use-it/ 2 http://citizensciencequarterly.com/2011/04/10/the-light-bulb-pcrmachine/ 3 http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/mf_diylab/all/1 22

Justin Fantl

Web http://openpcr.org Principal Investigators Tito Jankowski, biomedical engineer Josh Perfetto, programmer + biohacker

OpenROV
Overview OpenROV is an open source underwater exploration robot. It is designed to be low cost, easy to build, and capable of doing legitimate exploration missions, such as mapping features of underwater caves1. By providing DIY recipes online and facilitating an open collaborative community, the hope is continuously improve OpenROV and expand its applications. Pro Equipment Comparison OpenROV is on track for developing a kit capable of 100m depths for under $1000 soon and hope to include autonomous functionality. Comparable manuallycontrolled observation-class ROVs from VideoRay and Seabotix can typically retail for anywhere between $7500 to $20,000. VideoRay is often credited for creating a low-cost ROV in 1999 for $6000 prior to that, there was ISEs MiniRover in 1984 for $28,600 and the RASCAL in 1981 for $45,0002.
OpenROV

Web http://openrov.com Principal Investigators David Lang, maker Eric Stackpole, mechanical engineer

Specs Single container electrical system, on-board batteries Payload area (for easy science module additions) Removable electronics tube (for easy debugging) Removable inner structure (for bench-top testing) Made from laser-cut acrylic Arduino and Processing powered
1 2 http://blog.makezine.com/2012/02/09/openrov-testing-at-hall-city-cave/ http://www.seatrepid.com/files/UT_PAPER_FINAL-WERNLI.pdf 23

Phylo
Overview Phylo is an online game where collective problem solving can help contribute to building better algorithms that map diseases within human DNA. The game creates a framework for solving Multiple Sequence Alignments which biologists can use in studying evolutionary origins and finding the source of genetic diseases1. Pro Equipment Comparison The UCSC Genome Browser provides alignments of genomes using classical algorithms. Phylo aims to improve these alignments using human pattern recognition techniques. Phylo intends to publicly release all results, including the improved genome alignments. Specs Data provided by the UCSC Genome Browser Flash-based game, also available for mobile devices Available in English and French

Phylo

Web http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca Principal Investigators http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca/eng/credits.html

http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca/eng/about.html 24

Planet Hunters
Overview Planet Hunters is a website where anyone can potentially discover exoplanets (planets that are orbiting stars other than our Sun) using light curve data from NASAs Kepler spacecraft. The experiment taps into the power of human pattern recognition, betting that people can find some exoplanet candidates that would otherwise be left behind by modern algorithms used by scientists on the Kepler mission. Users have identified 34 exoplanet candidates so far1. Pro Equipment Comparison Through Planet Hunters, anyone can investigate NASA Kepler data that could lead to exoplanet discoveries. Prior to Planet Hunters, the search for exoplanets using Kepler data was a task completed by the Kepler team of scientists and researchers and their algorithms. Specs Available through web browsers Uses data from NASAs Kepler spacecraft

Planet Hunters

Web http://planethunters.org Principal Investigators http://planethunters.org/who_we_are

http://www.planethunters.org/candidates 25

PSIgasm
Overview The PSIgasm is an open source device that anonymously records muscle tension, moisture, heart rate and heat to measure the physiological traits of human sexual arousal. The project aims to add scientific inquiry for a controversial and often under-funded area of science, inform people and policy makers with findings and prepare data for publication1. Pro Equipment Comparison The PSIgasm is still in a prototype phase and is not yet available for distribution. The cheapest and most reliable technologies are being explored. Professional tests that use electromyography need highly trained professionals and ultrasound technology is considered too expensive2.
PSIgasm

Web http://psigasm.net Principal Investigators Ned Mayhem, experimental physicist Maggie Mayhem, HIV prevention specialist

Specs Arduino Fio with a Xbee wireless shield 12 sensors, including MEMS pressure sensor, thermistors, electrode heat sensor, electrodermal response sensor, infrared LED and phototransistor, and accelerometer. USB port for data transfer 3D printable model

1 2

http://psigasm.net/Arse_slides.pdf http://psigasm.net/?page_id=10 26

SkyLight
Overview SkyLight is a plastic smartphone-microscope camera adapter that allows your smartphone to view, capture and share microscopic images digitally. The hope is that by using ubiquitous platforms, doctors and patients in rural locations can become better connected. SkyLight is also being used to more easily study microscopic details and increase accessibility for anyone interested in experimenting with microscopes and photography. The project received funding through Kickstarter among other sources12. Pro Equipment Comparison A SkyLight adapter costs $65. For every five SkyLights purchased, one will be donated for global health or educational purposes. Attempting photography with a DSLR camera through a microscope lens is typically difficult. Specs Plastic adapter Fits any smartphone No additional optics required Fits eyepieces up to 4.45 cm in diameter No phone or microscope included
1 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/190596902/the-skylight-asmartphone-to-microscope-adapter 2 http://www.skylightscope.com/supporters/ 27

SkyLight

Web http://skylightscope.com Principal Investigators Andy Mill, engineer + designer Tess Bakke, geologist

SkyServer
Overview SkyServer is an online tool that can query astronomy data from observatories like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. SkyServer can express and translate the requirements of astronomers into database queries and turn the results into web pages. With SkyServer, people can receive answers to questions like find gravitational lens candidates or find other objects like this one1. Pro Equipment Comparison SkyServer is free, but if you want to clone it to run your own server, youll need to invest in your own hardware. SkyServer reduces the need to learn programming or write any SQL. Prior to SkyServer, you wouldve had to invest in your own development team to create a comparable suite of software. Specs A front-end IIS web server accepts HTTP requests processed by JavaScript ASP Scripts use ADO to query back-end SQL database server JavaScript formats SQL record sets into web pages Uses SQL Server

SkyServer

Web http://skyserver.org Principal Investigators http://skyserver.org/team/

http://research.microsoft.com/pubs/69896/tr-2001-104.pdf 28

SpikerBox
Overview SpikerBox is a device that can record the sound of neurons firing from living things like cockroaches. The software and instructions for the kit are open source and freely available. SpikerBoxes have been used in the study of hermit crab behavior by psychologists who otherwise have limited accessibility to neuroscience instrumentation due to cost. Pro Equipment Comparison A SpikerBox kit costs $99.98, a 2-channel SpikerBox kit costs $179.99 and a DIY bag of parts costs $49.99 and takes ~1.5 hours to build. A preamplifier from Stanford Research Systems costs $2400, weighs 15 pounds, includes two inputs and has no audio output1. Educational neurophysiology equipment often costs at least $30002.
Backyard Brains

Web http://backyardbrains.com/order.aspx Principal Investigators Tim Marzullo, neural engineering student Greg Gage, neural engineering student

Specs Includes standard audio jack for connecting data to computers and mobile devices for further analysis Consists of a PCB board, speaker, electrode and enclosure Requires 9-volt battery

1 http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/mf_diylab/all/1 2 http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal. pone.0030837 29

Whale FM
Overview Whale FM is a website where people can help marine researchers understand what whales are saying by listening to and matching hydrophone sound recordings of Orcas and Pilot Whales. Whales use sounds for communication, orientation and foraging and are changing their sounds sometimes due to loud human activity in the ocean. By categorizing calls of whales, scientific inquiry in whale communication and dialects can be achieved. Pro Equipment Comparison Prior to crowdsourcing this data analysis, a single person would take months to go through the data, and the outcome would still depend on a single persons interpretation1. Whale FM can achieve data analysis quicker and receive valuable input from a diverse set of collaborators. Specs Available through web browsers Uses data from Orcas and Pilot Whales Some recordings made from noninvasive, temporary D-Tags attached to whales Some recordings made from hydrophones like the Dephinus Hydrophone Array More than 16,000 unique calls
1 http://whale.fm/science 30

Whale FM

Web http://whale.fm Principal Investigators http://whale.fm/the_team