Join us for the May 2018 Hackaday LA Meetup! We'll welcome two expert speakers, meet with fellow hackers, pitch project ideas, and stay updated on all things Supplyframe, Hackaday, and Tindie.

**Please make sure to RSVP on our Meetup page!**

Featured Speakers: 

Dr. Rajib Schubert, Caltech // Virus stamping for targeted single cell infection in vitro and in vivio

Genetic manipulation of single cells or defined cell populations has become an indispensable technique in the quest to understand many biological processes. In cell biology, an ever-expanding arsenal of targeting technologies is used to read out or interfere with the function of defined populations of cells and to trace their connectivity in the case of neurons. A key goal now is the development of improved tools for genetic modification of single cells, including in the brain of living animals.In my paper published in Nature Biotechnology, using nanotechnology I present a simple, versatile, and efficient method for viral transfection of single cells in cell culture, tissues, and the brains of live mice. The approach relies on mechanical contact of the cell with a micropipette or magnetic nanoparticle decorated with the virus. This makes the reliable and selective infection of single cells in culture or superficial tissues child's play, and opens up new avenues for targeted in vivo infections as well.


Rajib’s research career began in the area of molecular bioengineering towards his Masters thesis at Columbia University with Dr. Samuel Sia from 2006 to 2008. His Ph.D thesis at the ETH Zürich in Basel, Switzerland, was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Müller and Dr. Botond Roska from 2010 to 2016. This exciting time constituted several projects that resulted in several publications in reputed journals such as Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Biotechnology. He is currently a postdoctoral scientist at Caltech in the lab of Viviana Gradinaru. His broad interests are in viral delivery technology, low-cost diagnostic devices, and neurotechnology.


Christine Sunu, HackPretty // Emotive Robots


Christine Sunu builds emotional bridges that span the divide between human and machine. Based on basic human empathy, she creates technology and hardware with emotive, human-centered interfaces that compel people to emotionally connect with non-living objects, such as robots. She’s even proven how quickly that connection happens by “killing” a robot onstage. An ex-biologist with two years of Yale medical school under her belt coupled with a Literary Arts degree from Brown, Christine has researched and written on cancer biology, patient advocacy and narrative medicine. Inspired by an open-source maker ethos, Christine turned her work towards engineering lifelike technology using emotive robot and interface design, ludic engagement, instructive design and low-barrier interactivity. As Creative Director at flashBANG, she continues her work as an all-purpose tech designer, meshing connected technologies with our everyday world and giving companies an edge in smart tech through custom prototyping and data-driven market validation. Christine has implemented developer experiences and run IoT workshops, designs interfaces for patient motivation, and creates hardware and software for research in emerging multidisciplinary fields. She writes and speaks widely about human motivation and interactivity in connected interfaces, and engages an international audience through online open-source tutorials.

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2018 Hackaday Prize 

The Hackaday Prize is back, and this year we want you to Build Hope.  Enter your project now!

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Parking 

 The DesignLab is at 30 E Del Mar Blvd, Pasadena, CA. You probably won't find street parking nearby, but please see this Google map showing the DesignLab location and nearby parking structures. 

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Public Transportation

Using the Metro Goldline trains is quick and easy. It takes about 20 mins from Union Station in downtown LA to Del Mar Station, which is less than 2 minutes walk from our front door. Trains run about every 10 mins during the day and 20 mins at night from 11pm-2am. There are also buses that serve Old Town Pasadena. The nearest intersection is FAIR OAKS/DEL MAR BLVD, PASADENA, CA 91105. You can find timetables or use the Metro Trip Planner at metro.net.