Genspace is a non-profit organization and a community biology laboratory located in Brooklyn, New York. Stemming from the hacking, biohacking, and DIYbio movements, Genspace has focused (since 2009) on supporting citizen science and public access to biotechnology.[2] Genspace opened the first community biology lab in 2010[3] and a Biosafety Level One laboratory in December of that year.[4][5] Since its opening, Genspace has supported projects, events, courses, art, and general community resources concerning biology, biotechnology, synthetic biology, genetic engineering, citizen science, open source software, open source hardware, and more.
A collaboration between Genspace and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory earned a second place win from the American Society for Microbiology‘s 2015 AgarArt competition.[6]
In February 2024, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)[7] announced the launch of Genspace’s Break into Biotech program, a workforce development initiative designed to provide biotechnology training, mentorship, and career development opportunities for New Yorkers. NYCEDC allocated $500,000 to Genspace to operate the program, which was intended to support up to 60 participants across five cohorts.
In 2025, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced [8] that Genspace had joined a consortium of leading academic institutions selected to operate Gotham Foundry, the nation’s first sustainable materials innovation hub.
Gallery
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Objects made from mycelium -
Spoons made of various organic materials, used in place of plastics -
CRISPR yeast -
The Genspace lab manager holds up microbe dye strains for a tour group -
Leaves which have images printed on them
See also
References
- ^ Jorgensen, Ellen (20 May 2016). “How DIY bio-hackers are changing the conversation around genetic engineering”. The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ “About”. Genspace.org. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ Mosher, Dave (2010-12-16). “DIY Biotech Hacker Space Opens in NYC”. Wired. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ^ Kean, S. (1 September 2011). “A Lab of Their Own”. Science. 333 (6047): 1240–1241. Bibcode:2011Sci…333.1240K. doi:10.1126/science.333.6047.1240. PMID 21885770.
- ^ Mosher, Dave. “DIY Biotech Hacker Space Opens in NYC”. Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ Dilger, Emily. “Announcing the 2015 ASM Agar Art Winners #agarart”. Archived from the original on 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ^ “NYCEDC, Genspace Launch Groundbreaking ‘Break into Biotech’ Training Program”. New York City Economic Development Corporation. February 1, 2024.
- ^ “NYCEDC Selects Consortium of Top Academic Institutions as Operator of First-of-its-Kind Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub, Contingently Awarding $45 Million”. NYCEDC . June 11, 2025.