• An open-source PCR kit bill of materials was published in a shared Google spreadsheet, providing a complete parts list for building a low-cost OpenPCR device.  
• Participants analyzed historical parachute failure statistics (1 in 1,000 sport-main malfunctions, 1 in 80,000 U.S. skydiving fatalities, 50 % for 1918 German combat chutes) to assess whether visual inspection can reliably detect packing errors.  
• Defense Distributed’s attempt to 3-D-print a single-shot firearm was cut short when Stratasys repossessed its leased printer, sparking debate over printable polymers (ABS vs. glass-filled nylon 66) and the structural limits of plastic gun components.  
• A new Portland-based biohacker (“BioGuy”) introduced a project to replace standard TAE/TBE electrophoresis buffers with lithium or sodium borate, aiming for low-cost agarose-gel SNP detection without polyacrylamide gels.  
• Aptamers—DNA/RNA loops evolved through iterative selection cycles—were highlighted as versatile affinity reagents for non-DNA targets, contrasting with simple DNA hybridization for SNP detection and antibody-based reporters that bind DNA poorly.  
• DIY microarray fabrication was deemed impractical at the hobbyist level, pushing open-science practitioners toward PCR-plus-sequencing workflows; past mail-in services like “snparty” and “genelaser” failed for lack of demand.  
• Hookworm therapy for Crohn’s disease was cited as a promising but non-patentable treatment unlikely to attract commercial trials, prompting discussion of an open “Hookworms ’R’ Us” initiative to make the therapy accessible.  
• A pending DARPA funding decision (due in ~14 days) for a non-biology consulting/forecasting proposal illustrated how channel members leverage government grants to support side projects in open science and technology forecasting.