• The US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues released a 176-page report on synthetic biology that concluded no new regulations are needed; the report, FAQ and press release were circulated and analyzed in the channel.  

• Environmental and religious coalitions (Friends of the Earth, ETC Group, 58 organizations in 22 countries) condemned the report and demanded a moratorium, prompting channel members to counter-argue for Max More’s proactionary principle over the precautionary principle.  

• A SoCal DIYbio member outlined plans for an open-source mass-spectrometry platform whose only proprietary element would be a magnetic-bearing sub-component, sparking debate on patents, revenue models (consulting vs. hardware sales), and the Science Commons Open Patent License.  

• Genspace, New York City’s new community biotech lab, officially opened; the Wired article and the lab’s blog post were shared as a milestone for the East-Coast DIYbio scene.  

• Real-time fMRI neurofeedback research (doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.12.016) was highlighted as an emerging cognitive-enhancement tool.  

• Participants proposed using metal-spray coating over 3-D-printed parts to create thin-walled metal components such as rocket nozzles and circuits, with links to process descriptions and application notes.  

• A call was issued for publicly available genotyping-versus-disease datasets to support open longevity research.  

• Freitas’ mechanosynthesis process document was re-hosted and annotated; QuantumG requested a timeline mapping completed experimental steps to the theoretical hierarchy.