Body work: Russia’s ‘biohackers’ push boundaries

Skakun, 36, has his blood taken for analysis at a private clinic in Moscow. Some add chips to their hands to open doors or start cars, others hope to live longer through intensive monitoring of their bodies. They are biohackers, people who seek to 'upgrade' their bodies with experimental technology and DIY health fixes. In Russia, the movement is spreading, with social media forums, conferences and businesses springing up to cater to their needs. — Photos: AFP

MOSCOW: Gripping a scalpel, Vladislav Zaitsev makes an incision in the fold of skin between his client's thumb and index finger and pushes in a small glass cylinder.

Alexei Rautkin, a 24-year-old programmer in a hoodie, is having a chip inserted in his hand so he can open the door to his office without swiping a card.