Biohacking Our Way to Health and Transhumanism

Abstract

Biohacking emerged as a grassroots movement that seeks to democratize biology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Initially known as garage biology, biohacking developed from the convergence of synthetic biology, citizen and open-source science, and advances in biotechnology. What began as amateur experimentation in home laboratories evolved into the broader movement known as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) biology, encompassing DIY genetics, DIY medicine, self-experimentation, personalized health optimization, and technological human enhancement. Biohacking has become increasingly associated with transhumanism, a philosophical and technological movement advocating the use of emerging tools to transcend biological limitations and improve the human condition. The movement has generated significant enthusiasm among biohackers and patients, while simultaneously raising concerns among healthcare professionals, regulators, ethicists, and policymakers. A notable example includes #WeAreNotWaiting and its development of open-source artificial pancreas systems for individuals with type 1 diabetes. At the same time, gene-editing technologies like CRISPR, self-administered therapies, and enhancement-oriented interventions challenge existing regulatory frameworks and ethical norms. In this review article, the origins and popularization of biohacking are explored initially, followed by the examination of DIY genetics, DIY medicine and healthcare, transhumanism, and the regulatory, legal, and ethical challenges facing the movement, especially from a Dasbien perspective. In sum, biohacking and transhumanism represent transformative forces in twenty-first century biotechnology and healthcare, which have the potential to democratize innovation while simultaneously creating significant risks related to safety, equity, governance, and human identity.