  DIYbio challenges the status quo by positioning laboratory biology work
outside of traditional institutions. HCI has increasingly explored the DIYbio
movement, but we lack insight into sites of practice such as community biolabs.
Therefore, we gathered data on eleven community biolabs by interviewing sixteen
lab managers and members. These labs represent half of identified organizations
in scope worldwide. Participants detailed their practices and motivations,
outlining the constraints and opportunities of their community biolabs. We
found that lab members conducted technically challenging project work with
access to high-end equipment and professional expertise. We found that the
unique nature of biowork exacerbated challenges for cooperative work, partially
due to the particular time sensitivities of work with living organisms.
Building on our findings, we discuss how community biolab members are creating
new approaches to laboratory biology and how this has design implications for
systems that support non-traditional settings for scientific practice.
