HACKER Q&A
📣 whitepaint

What are the experiments Software Developer could do with a microscope?


I got a microscope and I've always been planning to get into biology / genes etc. I like to write code. I like to break things. What could I do with a microscope? What are some interesting biology projects for a person like me? I know nothing about biology.

  👤 rootsudo Accepted Answer ✓
I would say start with general lab technique, and labs. Get a proper lab, and then go from there. Order in bulk, everything you'll need.

Genera books:

https://www.microscopeworld.com/t-books.aspx

The vocabulary:

https://www.coleparmer.com/blog/2013/08/16/lab-equipment-ana...

Proper optics and magnification is a must, but for biology/genes, the most best thing to do is really learn/relearn highschool/university level understanding before doing any labs.

Otherwise, you'll be stuck following steps that are pre-programmed for high success, and while that'd provide good feedback and a nice runway to enter, you will not understand much. Think of how you got into dev, and how the first books described hello world, if statements and loops.

Start there, then build.

I also do not know much of the new stuff w/ CRISPR or really cheap human genome sequence, but, if you trust dante labs (which has a eh rep on reddit) it's $259 for a whole sequence of your genome.

https://us.dantelabs.com/

But, genes, are very different from general labwork/biology.

I for example enjoy ochem lab work, and playing around with equipment, but, I dislike the hard science itself because I lack a true understanding of it.