Carving out a career as an amateur scientist
Lacking a degree has not stopped Sebastian Cocioba making waves in the world of biotechnology
Sebastian Cocioba sees himself as a molecular florist, genetically modifying plants in his home lab to create weird and wonderful aesthetics, including striking new features such as fluorescence. He is passionate about sharing tools and data to create a community of like-minded individuals.
‘One of my goals is to accumulate a filing cabinet of amateur biologists doing really interesting projects that are well-intentioned, well-considered and respected by professional academics,’ he says.
Cocioba decided to go it alone as an ‘amateur’ after a ‘series of unfortunate events’ meant he was unable to finish his biology degree at Stony Brook University, US. He makes his results and research tools publicly available and is steadily building a network of like-minded individuals.