In 2003 I founded DNAStuff and our website www.dnastuff.com as a vehicle to raise funds for research in genetics and bioinformatics at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Last August we moved our flagship store from Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor, NY into the Grace Auditorium at the heart of the Lab. Early this year, we received our 501C3 not-for-profit classification, which enables us, among other things, to function as a not-for-profit vendor of DNA-themed products.

Our primary goal is to put commerce in the service of philanthropy. Scientists and researchers at institutions like the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory spend a tremendous amount of their time writing grant proposals, time which might be better spent actually conducting research. Since breakthroughs in cures for prostate or breast cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, AIDS and other diseases may come when scientists are free to pursue unconventional lines of reasoning or even educated hunches, our hope is that DNAStuff will become a source of perpetual unrestricted funds for our Lab scientists.

We have deliberately created a store that caters to both science lovers and sciencephobes because our second mission is to communicate the notion that scientific discovery is hot. Our double helix jewelry, scarves, ties and other clothing illustrate the intimate connections between Art and Science and celebrate the beautiful structures that underpin our beings. We aim to make the double-helix an archetypal shape in the imaginations of this and all future generations. One could argue that five hundred years from now historians will herald the decoding of DNA as the greatest creative contribution of our era. We seek to be a part of a movement to convince our children that the real celebrities of our age will be those who follow the lead of Dr. James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, and the Chancellor of the Lab. It is, after all, their work that will fundamentally change the human condition, the way medicine is practiced, the way humans are healed.

Recognizing that many people become aware of the importance of genetic research after a family member or close friend falls ill, we have designed a collection of Genetic Solutions pins and car magnets, one for each of the lines of inquiry pursued at the Lab. If your father suffers from Parkinsom's, for instance, you might choose to support Tim Tully's lab by buying a pewter, silver or gold No Parkinson's pin. We hope that our Genetics Solutions pins will become as ubiquitous and recognizable as the AIDS or Breast Cancer ribbons or the Lance Armstrong bracelets. Consequently, we welcome connections with various disease associations and will participate in mutually beneficial fundraising endeavors with them. As a not-for-profit vendor, we offer the promise that ALL net profits go towards research.

Finally, Connie Hallaran, our VP and General Manager, and I consider this a collaborative enterprise, and we unabashedly will pursue celebrity endorsements in all our efforts, in the hopes that the additional publicity will shine the spotlight on the critical need for funding for basic genetic research.

— Cathy Cyphers Soref, Founder