- IBM’s SyNAPSE team published the “Corelet” architecture and companion papers describing an all-digital neuromorphic chip that uses binary-weight synapses, offering a practical path to large-scale spiking-neural-network hardware.  
- Channel participants debated the biological relevance of simple op-amp “neuron” circuits, concluding they serve better as analog feedback controllers than faithful neural models, yet remain valuable for educational visualization.  
- Microbial fuel cells were analyzed as a research topic: low power density and unclear scalability were noted, while spin-offs like self-heating wastewater treatment and bacteria-grown conductive nanowires were highlighted as promising.  
- Korean researchers demonstrated single-cell DNA insertion via laser perforation plus optical tweezers, and complementary laser-induced ultrasonic poration techniques were shared as additional routes to high-efficiency transfection.  
- A DIY credibility discussion concluded that undocumented “show-and-tell” bio projects risk undermining the movement, reinforcing the need for rigorous documentation and reproducibility.  
- Avery Louie released early automation code for DNA extraction (“DNACrusher”) on GitHub, though the repo currently mixes source, compiled byte-code, and images, inviting community cleanup.  
- An open-source gel-electrophoresis platform is under active prototyping, featuring a 1 mL flat-channel cassette, custom LED/laser transilluminator, and a planned single-line Python API for fully automated runs.  
- Participants advocated replacing wide-field UV transillumination with single-point LED/laser detection to eliminate vignetting and enable quantitative peak analysis, with volunteers ready to beta-test hardware revisions.  
- kanzure noted the NSA’s plan to cut 90 % of its sysadmin workforce post-Snowden, sparking speculation about an influx of security-cleared talent into open-source and biohacker communities.  
- Oppenheimer’s OURLab facility was offered as the venue for an upcoming DIYbio meetup, providing a well-equipped space for hands-on experimentation and collaboration.