- A desktop-sized low-voltage electron microscope (Delong LVEM5 TEM) was spotted on eBay for ~US$30 k, prompting discussion of compact lab-grade imaging for biohacker labs.  
- Valencia_UPV iGEM team demonstrated a “Golden Gate assembly on PCB” workflow that uses electrowetting microfluidics on printed-circuit boards to automate DNA assembly in a desktop printer-like device.  
- ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces paper “Microelectromechanical Systems from Aligned Cellulose Nanocrystal Films” was shared as a route to biodegradable, low-cost MEMS for sensors and actuators.  
- Discussion of open-source legal frameworks referenced the ULEX project (a modular legal system) and noted lingering activity among extropian circles.  
- Hacker-News thread on converting aerial LIDAR scans directly into 3-D printable terrain models was highlighted as a rapid route from geospatial data to physical artifacts.