How about the 15-year-old boy who a few years back used a sample of his DNA and the Internet to find the anonymous sperm donor who was his father?
Or the New York City teens who used a simplified genetic fingerprinting technique to determine that a quarter of the sushi they tested wasn't what it was labeled?
These are examples of the growing trend toward amateur biology, a topic of a briefing Thursday at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.
It's "lo-fi" biology — low in complexity, cost and waste, says Jason Bobe, co-founder of DIYbio.org (the DIY standing for do-it-yourself), who spoke at the briefing.
Amateur activities range from identifying bacteria and plants to personal biomonitoring to environmental sensing using genetic engineering.
As an example, we're "getting closer to everyone being able to assess the quality of their tap water," Bobe says.
The other speaker at the briefing, Edward You of the FBI, discussed the security issues involved. He says the FBI doesn't want to stifle research and favors a "neighborhood watch" process to promote a culture of responsibility.