- Illumina’s rumored 2016 “Firefly” benchtop sequencer was dissected in a linked blog post, with speculation that a sub-$100 k, cartridge-based device could dramatically lower the barrier to entry for small labs and citizen scientists.  
- Channel members debated the practicality of using sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) followed by FACS sorting of GFP-expressing sperm, concluding that membrane-anchored fluorescent proteins or post-fertilization screening might circumvent the transcriptional silence of mature sperm.  
- A fully open-source “Pepper’s Cone” volumetric display (roxanneluo.github.io/PeppersCone.html) was showcased: a low-cost, cone-shaped film plus a stabilizing coin that projects 3-D imagery for single-viewer medical or prototyping applications.  
- Participants scoped a <$25 k benchtop inkjet MEMS printer built from Epson piezo heads on a high-precision XY stage, heated substrate, and optional inert-gas enclosure, citing a 2017 paper on inkjet-printed MEMS as proof that consumer printheads can pattern micro-electro-mechanical devices.  
- A high-throughput oligo-synthesis project was outlined: 1 pL droplets, 1 billion spots, two “inks,” with Kyocera heads (1.5 pL, 64 kHz) projected at ~334 M drops/s each; a six-head flatbed system was costed at ~$250 k, while hacked Epson desktop printers (~$100) were proposed for early prototyping.  
- Technical constraints of inkjet bio-printing were discussed: optimal 5–6 mPa·s viscosity, acetone volatility issues, chip-resetters to defeat drop-count DRM, and the possibility of 90° or even 360° head orientations for reciprocal layering between two heads.  
- Lightning Network developer documentation (dev.lightning.community/tutorial) was shared as the go-to resource for open-source experimentation with Bitcoin payment channels.  
- The 2017–18 flu season’s 10–30 % egg-based vaccine efficacy prompted recommendations for cell-culture alternatives (Flucelvax, Flublok) and sparked a provocative discussion of DIY vaccine kits—acknowledging regulatory hurdles but framing them as a logical extension of open-source biology.