• A new arXiv preprint (1608.07032) claims the classical discrete-logarithm problem over prime fields can be reduced to solving a system of linear modular equations, potentially undermining widely-used cryptographic assumptions.

• Participants analyzed Agilent’s $80 M acquisition of Lasergen as a barrier to open DNA-sequencing chemistry, discussed FTC antitrust angles on refusal-to-supply, and predicted that DIY chemists will synthesize “ChinaCo Cloudzapping Terminators” to bypass proprietary reagents.

• FDA gene-therapy timelines were deemed so slow that U.S. patients may travel to Asia or Europe for CRISPR treatments; despite CRISPR being “not ready for mass-use,” at least one hackerspace already owns a CRISPR kit.

• A biomedical engineer solicited disruptive projects for RIT’s SMFL micro-/nano-fab; proposals included on-chip SELEX for aptamer biosensors, microfluidic virus manufacturing, MEMS mass-spectrometers, open DNA synthesis, and sub-mm³ MEMS vacuum pumps enabling “Shazam for molecules” gas analyzers in cell phones.

• Long-running discussion on radio-frequency-responsive proteins revisited MAPK-pathway RF effects in yeast, modeling proteins as RF antennas, and the need for analog RF design tools to predict resonant protein geometries.

• Solid-state plasma antennas (US Patent 7,109,124) were highlighted as ultra-compact, reconfigurable 70 GHz phased-array elements for high-bandwidth phones and radar; Plasma Antennas Ltd reportedly has working hardware but is unresponsive to inquiries.

• Android prototyping advanced: Kivy + OpenCV successfully compiled for Android via NDK, and alternatives to Matplotlib (wxPython/pyplot, gnuplot, pyqt) were recommended for plotting million-point oscilloscope power-analysis traces.

• A 2015 Nature paper (Tomasetti & Vogelstein) was noted for showing that ~65 % of lifetime cancer risk across 31 human tissues is explained by total stem-cell divisions, prompting discussion of ~10 quadrillion cell divisions per lifetime and ~8 million nucleated genomes synthesized every second.

• Mechanical self-replication in space was critiqued for decades-long transit times and dependence on high-tech “vitamins,” leading participants to favor engineered vacuum-tolerant biology over purely kinematic seed-craft; Made In Space’s Archinaut project and FDM filament were cited as near-term steps, while stereolithography was ruled out for micro-gravity printing.

• A technical comparison of flexure-based mechanical computation (Merkle’s reversible buckling springs) versus fluidic logic examined trade-offs in friction, viscoelastic losses, Reynolds-number limits, and candidate materials such as glass and Metglas for sub-micron flexures, alongside micro-assembly challenges of surface adhesion and 6-DOF manipulation.