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Biotech Without Borders is an all-volunteer, member-led, community lab with 501(c)(3) status in the USA. We were founded in 2017 by Dr. Ellen Jorgensen after she stepped down as Director of Genspace to continue her work democratizing biotechnology. To achieve this end, our lab is engaged in an ongoing process to steward a __[[https://biotechwithoutborders.org/about-the-lab/|shared lab space]]__ in New York City. Members are invited to shape the lab for their individual and/or group projects by finding consensus among each other using a cooperative decision making software called __[[https://www.loomio.org/biotech-without-borders/|Loomio]]__. We commit to exercising tact and bravery in articulating dissent with the assumptions that we all inevitably bring to our work. In the spirit of resilience, we discuss these points of conflict and adapt to our revised understanding.

Fungi are a fascinating form of life. Those who practice using these organisms often share values and interests with others engaged in research and explorations of the natural world outside of the academic and industrial system. We are eager to support projects that improve the lives of others in their local community and contribute to the organization of "amateur" scientists worldwide.