- A participant is building a “visualization of the genome” project and needs freely available, anatomically accurate 3-D human models (preferably with skeletal control) to map gene-expression data onto organs such as the heart; commercial models (e.g., $14 k female anatomy set from 3dscience.com) are considered too expensive and closed.  
- The same researcher is also planning to assemble a MakerBot and asked for curated links beyond the official wiki; the channel pointed to general open-hardware repositories but noted that no single “downloadable hardware overview” page yet exists.  
- Discussion of open-source bioinformatics infrastructure included the idea of an Amazon EC2 “DIYbio image” pre-loaded with whole-genome alignment tools; existing Bio-Linux and RPM-based bio-distributions were mentioned, together with frustration that no canonical, up-to-date image is maintained.  
- A university student announced that his department will fund him at $20/hr to design and build a physical virtual-reality lab “from scratch,” starting with no predefined research mandate—an unusual blank-slate opportunity for transhumanist experimentation.  
- The Blue Brain Project reportedly issued a “first and last warning” to the channel founder for circulating their job announcements, illustrating tensions between open-recruitment culture and institutional gate-keeping in large neuroscience initiatives.  
- Recent Kickstarter success “Remade: The Rebirth of the Maker Movement” (now funded) and the electromagnate.com documentary were highlighted as evidence of growing mainstream interest in decentralized, open manufacturing.  
- A parameterized foam-cutter design (SofaMatic.tar.gz) implemented in OpenSCAD was shared as an example of community-driven, open-source fabrication tools.  
- Links to free-book repositories (free-books.dontexist.com, Gigapedia) and the SBML portal were offered to a newcomer looking for systems-biology textbooks.