Biohackers tackle the coronavirus

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The World Health Organization, ministries, doctors, the media: it’s hardly surprising that all these actors produce and communicate data on the coronavirus (COVID-19). But that hackers and biohackers take up the subject is far more astonishing. This article discusses hackathons (both face-to-face and online) that have been organized to tackle the coronavirus. These hackathons have pursued various aims: understanding the genome of the coronavirus and how it spreads; doing data analysis, modeling and simulation; creating new prototypes, etc. In general, the hackathons aim to democratize the coronavirus by imagining and sharing tools, software, data, and models. Current discussions revolve around the possibility and the dangers of developing DIY tests to diagnose the virus. The proliferation of biohackers’ ideas will now face the biological complexity and geopolitical reality of the coronavirus.