biohacking

noun

bio·​hack·​ing ˈbī-ō-ˌha-kiŋ 

: biological experimentation (as by gene editing or the use of drugs or implants) done to improve the qualities or capabilities of living organisms especially by individuals and groups working outside a traditional medical or scientific research environment

Every November, college kids from Michigan to Munich descend on MIT, eager to show off their biohacking skills. In the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, teams battle one another to build the coolest synthetically altered organisms.

—Alexandra Witze

often : such experimentation done on one's own body

… the debate has intensified over whether biohacking—body modification and augmentation with the aim of gaining enhanced abilities—should be subject to strict regulation. Other biohacking stunts have included DIY biologists injecting themselves with CRISPR and with experimental HIV treatments.

—Xavier Symons

Biohacking is still a niche field, but the possibilities are growing. The most successful innovations so far are small magnets that can be implanted in your fingertips, allowing you to feel electric fields. Also popular are … chips … which can be implanted under the skin and used as remote keys, wallets and data storage devices.

—Frank Swain

biohacker

ˈbī-ō-ˌha-kər 

noun

plural biohackers

[Dave] Asprey, 42, is a self-described biohacker—somebody who uses science and technology to make his or her body function better and more efficiently. There are about 100,000 biohackers worldwide, Asprey estimates, and among them, he's a celebrity.

—Gordy Megroz

Examples of biohacking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even in the wellness world, our growing obsession with longevity and biohacking subtly sells the message that youth is the ultimate marker of not only health, but also desirability, value, and beauty. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Oct. 2025

What began as a 2,500-square-foot personal healing space became a 15,000-square-foot Miami biohacking flagship, now part of a growing portfolio of high-tech wellness system centers across Miami. —Stephan Rabimov, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

And the new must-have for wealthy homeowners is at-home biohacking: luxury pads complete with infrared saunas, IV drips, cold plunges, and hot tubs. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025

The professor discusses this paradigm in his new book The TAO of NAD. Health as a Lifestyle, Not a Crisis Healthspan isn't about silver bullets or extreme biohacking. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025

At the biohacking brunch after the wedding, guests were treated to breathwork, brain optimization tools, vibration plates, PEMF mats and red light therapy. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025

Haaland holds the Premier League record for most goals in a season Caroline Tompkins for TIME For Ake and others, Haaland’s oddball biohacking habits serve as fodder. —Sean Gregory, Time, 31 July 2025

Erewhon’s promise of farm fresh, organic, biohacking, raw realness is sold as self care. —Maggie Anders, Oc Register, 29 July 2025

The lede’s bravura gives way to an entertaining tour of biohacking’s past and present, with conference attendees giving Bahr more color than a bowl of Lucky Charms. —Longreads, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

bio- + hacking, gerund of hack entry 1

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for biohacking

• attacking
• backpacking
• backtracking
• hijacking
• kayaking
• meatpacking
• ransacking
• repacking
• unpacking
• backing
• blacking
• clacking