- Synthetic-biology proposals for Mars colonization were circulated, referencing a PLOS SynBio post on engineering microbes to support off-world settlement.  
- A Nature Communications paper introduced inducible CRISPR guide RNAs that enable “de-novo assembly of transcriptional programs,” offering a modular way to wire new gene circuits.  
- Cambridge researchers reported the first self-developing embryo built entirely from separate embryonic and extra-embryonic stem cells, recapitulating early mammalian development in vitro (Science, Guardian coverage).  
- Optogenetic tools advanced with red-light–regulated diguanylyl cyclases that exhibit long-range allosteric signaling, providing new remote-control switches for cellular behavior.  
- Toxoplasma gondii was highlighted as a potential gene-delivery vector: Cre-recombinase-expressing parasites permanently mark and track host neurons in vivo, showing preferential residence in neuronal processes rather than cell bodies.  
- Studies linked Toxoplasma infection to altered dopamine signaling—parasite-encoded tyrosine hydroxylase boosts dopamine up to 100-fold in infected neurons—offering a stealth neuromodulation mechanism.  
- Discussion of human germline editing noted the UK’s approval for CRISPR/Cas9 work on viable embryos and the continued debate over voluntary moratoriums, with participants speculating that undisclosed implantations may already have occurred.  
- Open-source brain-morphometry tools (Mindboggle) and intracellular gold-nanoparticle stimulation platforms were shared as accessible resources for neuroengineering experiments.