- George Church’s Personal Genome Project has begun publishing its promised 100,000-genome dataset at http://www.personalgenomes.org/public/, reigniting debate over what “open” data actually entails in practice.

- A proposal was floated for a next-generation-sequencing (NGS) bio-repository that packages raw biological data into ML-ready formats to accelerate cross-disciplinary research and lower entry barriers for algorithm developers.

- Undisclosed funding has been secured to pay contributors for open-source hardware designs, with DNA synthesizers and microfluidic devices named as early targets; the group is actively exploring sustainable compensation models for open hardware.

- Participants dissected Craig Venter’s “synthetic cell” announcement, concluding it is largely a re-assembly of an existing Mycoplasma genome plus watermark sequences rather than creation “from scratch,” and linked two key assembly protocols: one-step isothermal in-vitro assembly (PubMed 19363495) and yeast-spheroplast whole-gene assembly from oligo tiles (PubMed 19745056).

- A deep technical thread explored automated structural optimization—using FEA, level-set, and evolutionary algorithms to generate 3-D geometries that minimize material while maximizing rigidity—complete with links to CalculiX and the online FEASolver tool.

- Maker culture friction was highlighted: a RepRap Mendel build consumed 2.25 h reverse-engineering, 1.75 h CAD/CAM setup, 1.5 h fixturing, and only 15 min machining, prompting calls for parametric, maker-friendly workflows (OpenSCAD → STL) to shrink total time below 30 min.

- The community weighed hosting controversial but technically open designs—such as home-scale SILEX uranium-enrichment hardware and micro-scale “adderall factory” microreactors—on designfiles.org, concluding the platform would accept anything except porn.

- A viral “promise-pyramid” web app (http://adl.serveftp.org:8091/projector/projects/) was introduced to bootstrap large-scale open-transhumanist projects by letting users pledge action contingent on friends doing the same.

- DIYbio infrastructure ideas included an open-source DNA sequencer largely printable on a RepRap and the broader “make-offs” meme—low-budget, open-source knock-offs of professional biotech gear—supported by links to the DIYbio project wiki (diybio.labitat.dk) and Biocurious founding-member list.