Genes are becoming the legos of life, a super-size carton of biological toys that can be endlessly combined, cut, spliced and reengineered.The average human has about 25,000 genes - that’s a lot of A, C,T & G’s floating around. Scientists are still clueless about what to do with most of them, so here are afew ideas for putting your spare genome to good use:

Map It

The Personal Genome

Can a personal genome sequence get a creative commons license? To protect yourself, should you create a Nom de Ome, or a pseudonym, for your genome? These are the some of the questions pondered on this introspective and provocative blog, The Personal Genome. Author Jason Bobe works with George Church’s Personal Genome Project at Harvard Medical School, which has recruited 10 volunteers to make their complete genomic data (genome sequences, medical records and health profiles) freely available to the public, in the hopes of creating an open-source public database for genetic research.

Hack It

DNA2.0

Supply list for hacking a genome: one Linux-supercomputer, a good map, a case of Red Bull, and oh yeah, some genes. For the latter, check out dna2.0.com, one of the many retail “genome shops” that have sprouted up to support the booming business of synthetic biology. For about $2 a base pair, you can order any number of standard genes, or custom-design your own using the company’s Gene Designer tool.

Write its autobiography

A Life Decoded

In Craig Venter’s new book “A Life Decoded” the self-proclaimed winner of the race to map the human genome describes his journey of personal cartography: the quest to map his own genome. Due in stores October 18.

Make Music

http://www.toddbarton.com/

One night musician Tod Barton downloaded a string of DNA data sequence from the International Genome Project website and entered a couple of lines from chromosome 1 into his Midi sequencer. The result: a rhythmic pattern to which he mapped string, vocal and clarinet sounds. It may not be a genomic symphony (yet) but the piece, which he calls Genome 1, which was featured at the Smithsonian Institute.

Make Art

http://www.dna11.com/

Wondering what to hang on that empty wall behind your couch? Tired of poster art and reprintsNow even the most artistically challenged can tap into their inner Van Gogh with the help of DNA11.com. Simply send the company a sample of your genome using a Q-tip-like cheek swab; they extract some DNA to create a unique genetic fingerprint. Your DNA is then stained with a fluorescent dye, photographed and printed on canvas as a Giclee fine art piece. The result is a completely unique piece of art that is oh-so-you.