Lighting talk presented at the European Stakeholder Round Table on Citizen and DIY Science and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), http://ecsa.citizen-science.net/events/ecsa-events/european-stakeholder-round-table-citizen-and-diy-science-and-rri. The presentation is focused on: 1) examples of the kind of citizen science we do & support at Technarium hackerspace (Vilnius, Lithuania); 2) what are the links between the DIY science & citizen science; 3) what are the main problems we face as a DIY community at large.

1. (Bio)hacking at Technarium
What we do & where is the citizen science
EGLE MARIJA RAMANAUSKAITE
ROUNDTABLE ON CITIZEN AND DIY SCIENCE, 2016-11-08

2. 1. Examples of biohacking/citsci hacks
2. Ideas we have for making links
3. Problems DIY community faces

3. LICHEN
BIOHACKING
• Looking for new
biosynthetic products
(biomed)
• Hard to explore via
“regular” science
methods (citizen
science)
• Access to tools,
hacking equipment we
need (hackerspace)
• Education, learning
(added value)
bit.ly/hack-lichens

4. REVIVING CENTURY’S OLD RESEARCH
With century’s old equipment :D
• Bryozoa research by female
scientist B. Pajiedaite –
lost & forgotten after
WWII
• Reliving one of the most
extensive national studies
in the world
• Involving the public in
learning about their
environment with simple
tools made available

5. CAMERA TRAPS FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE
Typical market price >100$; hundreds/thousands needed
for biodiversity surveillance
• An interesting hack for us
+ contributing to science,
education & much more
• A life-saver (money-saver)
to citizen science project
creators and/or citizen
scientists
• One of many tools which
allow to cheaply explore
the environment

6. SIMPLE/INNOVATIVE TECH SOLUTIONS TO BIO-TECH
PROBLEMS
• 3D printing Eppendorf tube
caps
• CNC-routing parts for
microfluidics controller (hacking,
science, citizen science)

7. MAKING LINKS?
• Some (bio)hackers are already doing citizen science. They just don’t
always call it that.
• It’s a two-way symbiosis: citizen scientists/project owners
(“scientists”) could learn how to hack tools from hackers & solve their
research bottlenecks, e.g.
• Hackers are generally interested in such hacks. Hacker ethos (short
version): do, create, care & share
• We already have a lot of common ground & common goals, and are often
doing quite the same things…
We just need to COMMUNICATE

8. PROBLEMS:
• Not everyone realizes “DIY bio”, “biohacking”, “biodesign” are just some
of the terms that people identify themselves with. It would be
responsible to find & reach out to communities that might not exist under
these names.
• Not everyone agrees on what “citizen science” is. For us it includes
grass-roots science (DIY science) (we are the same bunch).
• We do-it-ourselves, our of our own pockets. We don’t have funding!
• Our expertise is sometimes taken for granted. We want to share – but can
do only as much as we see value in doing. It’s a two-way street.
• Funding funding funding! We can’t always pay expensive conference fees or
take time out of our daily jobs to attend citizen science meetings. But
we are part of the community!
How can DITOs/ECSA/citizen science
community at large HELP ?

9. LET’S KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING:
https://pad.okfn.org/p/DIY-citizenscience
@Seplute @Technarium
emramanauskaite@gmail.com
blog.technariumas.lt