A group of would-be boffins are tinkering with the genetic building blocks of life in their garages.

DIY genetic engineering is taking off in the U.S. where the fundamental Christians in charge of the former British colony have limited development on moral grounds. Using homemade lab equipment and the wealth of scientific knowledge available online, the DIY genetics boffins are trying to create new life.

One example given by AP is a 31-year-old computer programmer, Meredith Patterson, who is trying to develop genetically altered yogurt bacteria that will glow green to signal the presence of melamine, the chemical that turned Chinese-made baby formula and pet food into a killer.

While no major gene-splicing discoveries have come out anybody's kitchen or garage, critics are a bit worried that an amateur could one day unleash an environmental or medical disaster. However, the hobbiysts are proudly calling themselves "biohackers" and claim they are pushing technological boundaries, putting the spread of knowledge before profits.

A Cambridge group called DIYbio is setting up a community lab where the public could use chemicals and lab equipment, including a used freezer, which they picked up from Craigslist. Most of the hobbyists are getting their information from  scientific papers and getting tips from online forums.

However, Jim Thomas of ETC Group, a biotechnology watchdog organization, warned that synthetic organisms in the hands of amateurs could escape and cause outbreaks of incurable diseases once you move to people working in their garages or other informal locations, as there's no safety process in place.

There are also fears that terrorists might attempt do-it-yourself genetic engineering.

More here.