Ellen Jorgensen

Activist, Buddhist, Educator/Teacher, Explorer, Scientist

Dr Ellen Jorgensen is cofounder of Aanika Biosciences, a biotech startup that safeguards supply chains and promotes sustainable practices by using biomolecules and probiotics to track and trace food and other products. She currently runs (and is also the founder of) Biotech Without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting citizen science and low-cost access to biotechnology for students, entrepreneurs and the general public. She is passionate about increasing science literacy in both student and adult populations, particularly in the areas of molecular and synthetic biology. Before starting Biotech Without Borders, she cofounded and directed the world's first community lab in Brooklyn NY where she initiated an award-winning curriculum of informal science education for adults and students in biotechnology and synthetic biology, which resulted in Genspace being named one of the World's Top 10 Innovative Companies in Education by Fast Company magazine. Ellen's efforts to develop innovative ways to support citizen participation in science have been chronicled by Nature Medicine, Science, Discover Magazine, Wired, Make, BBC News, Dan Rather Reports, PBS News Hour, The Discovery Channel, and The New York Times. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from New York University, spent many years in the biotechnology industry, and is currently adjunct faculty at The Cooper Union. Dr. Jorgensen’s two TED talks (Biohacking: You Can Do It Too and What You Need To Know About CRISPR) have received over two million views. In 2017, Fast Company magazine named her one of their Most Creative Leaders in Business.

It's the age of biotechnology and it will impact virtually every facet of your life. You need to pay attention to how fast it is moving and how it is being used.

Reading and writing DNA code is becoming simpler and cheaper at an astounding rate. To face the challenges that accompany the use of this powerful technology, stakeholders cannot remain ignorant of it. Hands-on participation is the best way to gain a true understanding of the potential of biotech. Science that used to take place only in universities and corporate labs is now becoming accessible to citizen scientists all over the world. Through community labs such as Biotech Without Borders in New York, people from all walks of life are discovering that biohacking is a way to enrich their lives.

Backcountry Traveling, Molecular and Cell Biology

After nearly 30 years in biomedical research, I've become so passionate about citizen participation in hands-on science that I co-founded the world's first community biotechnology lab. The nonprofit Biotech Without Borders is my current passion, a community lab not affiliated with any university or company, We provide training and facilities for individuals to pursue a number of different types of projects. The only requirement was that the work be safe. It's very important to have a space with few limits in order for creative biotinkering to flourish. Educational outreach in the form of classes, lectures and events was also part of our mission. Biotech Without Borders has a particular focus on bringing technology to underserved and underrepresented groups within and outside the United States.

Building log cabins in Alaska, martial arts, oil painting.