- The SB5.0 synthetic-biology conference program and poster index were circulated (PDF links), offering a snapshot of 2011 research directions in open-source biology.  
- Andy Ellington’s poster on “Directed evolution of supercharged polymerases” was highlighted; the approach uses hyper-charged protein surfaces to enable mammalian-cell uptake and improve thermal stability.  
- A two-color phytochrome-B optogenetic system was noted as a new way to control protein conformation and peptide binding with light.  
- Work on the R18 RNA-polymerase ribozyme was summarized: it can now perform template-directed RNA synthesis up to ~105 nt, edging closer to self-replication.  
- The concept of “retrosynthetic biology” was introduced—using reversed enzymatic reactions encoded as hypergraphs to algorithmically design metabolic pathways for therapeutic production.  
- Bacterial microcompartments (protein-based organelles) were discussed as a newly recognized organizational feature in prokaryotes, exemplified by Salmonella’s 1,2-propanediol utilization system.  
- A claimed oligonucleotide-synthesis error rate of 1:4000 was mentioned in the context of “error correction of synthetic genes.”  
- The historical “Spiegelman Monster” experiment (an RNA replicase that evolves shorter, faster-replicating strands) was referenced as foundational to origin-of-life and minimal-replicator studies.  
- Links to Ellington Lab blog posts on ribozymes and on “designer chemical weapons” were shared, along with a 2009 review on gene-synthesis methods.