- A new telomere-length-control protein, TZAP, was spotlighted via the 2017 Science paper (DOI: 10.1126/science.aah6752), offering a fresh molecular target for longevity and cancer research.  
- An ultra-low-cost His-tag peptide purification hack was debated: replacing commercial Ni-NTA columns with bulk nickel powder plus a strong magnet and pH elution, potentially cutting protein-prep costs for DIYbio labs.  
- The OpenDrop electrowetting lab-on-a-chip platform was compared to the University of Toronto DropBot project, with discussion of electrode addressing, ENIG PCB finishes, and capacitive vs webcam droplet-position feedback.  
- Keras will be merged into core TensorFlow, lowering the barrier to deep-learning experimentation, while Chainer (http://chainer.org) was noted as an alternative framework for dynamic neural-network research.  
- A 9-year, ~1-million-line IRC log curation project was proposed to strip join/quit spam and create a searchable wiki of technical bookmarks and summaries, estimated as a 6-month effort.  
- Participants analyzed why early transhumanists “missed biology,” attributing pessimism to an over-focus on diamondoid mechanosynthesis, lack of wet-lab skills, and failure to deliver actionable plans to billionaire patrons.  
- The concept of internet-rentable cubic-meter telerobotic micro-factories stacked in warehouses—where gamers remotely optimize semi-self-replicating ecosystems—was floated as a bridge between gaming culture and advanced manufacturing.  
- CubeSpawn, an open-source modular CNC machine-building system, was highlighted as a promising platform for low-cost fabrication and for constructing small vacuum cubes for space-oriented experiments.