IP-Free Genes

IP-Free Genes are a key tool for the community biolab. Genspace has partnered with Cathal Garvey, founder of Indie Biotech, to design an open source and IP-free plasmid for the community biolab. The Open Plasmid is a core platform on which many experiments in a community biolab can be built on, essentially the equivalent of an Arduino for the citizen science community. The plasmid is designed to be easily modifiable, and therefore approachable to everyone from weekend researcher to curious high school student. The plasmid is also designed to be easy to cultivate with minimal resources. Unlike most plasmids, it does not need to be grown with antibiotics, significantly increasing accessibility to budget-constrained organizations, and having less negative environmental impact.