Biopunk

According to Wikipedia (class reading), Biopunk can refer to one of several different types of people. First, it could refer to "a hobbyist who experiments with DNA and other aspects of genetics" ("Biopunk"). Second, it could refer to "a techno-progressive movement advocating open access to genetic information" ("Biopunk"). Finally, it could be a reference to "a science fiction genre that focuses on biotechnology and subversives" ("Biopunk"). These many definitions all relate back to one central ideology: "public awareness of human genomic information" ("Biopunk").

This freedom of information opens the door to individual investigation of biological and genetic issues, but unfortunately also opens the doors to abuse. Advocates of the biopunk movement insist that it is through access to this information that countermeasures can be developed, but critics assert that the risk of the information getting into the wrong hands is too great. Most concerns are related to bioterrorism, which is also discussed in this section.