Biopunk: Solving Biotech's Biggest Problems in Kitchens and Garages. The most disruptive force on the planet resides inside DNA. Biotech companies and academic researchers are just beginning to unlock the potential in piecing together life from scratch, and champions of synthetic biology believe that turning genetic code into Lego-like blocks to build never-before-seen organisms could solve the thorniest challenges in medicine, energy, and environmental protection. But as the hackers who cracked open the potential of the personal computer and the Internet proved, the most revolutionary discoveries often emerge from out-of-the-way places, forged by brilliant outsiders with few resources besides boundless energy and great ideas.