The ILIAD Project: A Massively Multi-Scientist Open Experiment

[Josiah Zayner]

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-identify-new-antibiotics-at-home-with-the-iliad-project/x/4544718

This idea started as a way to involved people in an actual Science project that they could contribute to in a real way. With the success of things like FoldIt and Zooniverse and all the other online Science portals I thought what if we could harness the creativity and intelligence of people to do a "wet" lab experiment? Could you imagine if there was a huge open database of the antibacterial efficacy of organismal extracts? That is our goal. Not only will this open database help researchers identify new antibiotic compounds but it will also provide a wealth of information about local flora and fauna, evolution of secondary metabolites and many other things. We have been in contact with a number of schools across the US to involve them in this project and would love the support of the DIYBio community.

I know some/most of you can probably make these kits on your own, which will be great when the database/website goes live. Any way you can contribute to the project would be much appreciated spreading the word, donating, &c. If you have ideas or skills that you think could contribute to the project or want to help out feel free to email me. 

Thanks,

     Josiah Zayner

     josiah.zayner [at] gmail d-o-t com