# Key Points from IRC Conversation

• Discussion of open manufacturing and fabrication labs (fablabs), including plans for an Austin-based lab with RFID access systems rather than fingerprint scanners due to practical considerations around oil and epoxy contamination.

• Extensive sharing of microfluidics research papers, with particular interest in low-cost fabrication methods including ice lithography, wax printing, UV LED maskless photolithography, and using conventional laser printers for micropatterned substrates.

• Exploration of fluidic systems for mechanical applications, including a discussion about building fluidic stepper motors compatible with RepRap 3D printing technology and pneumatic control systems.

• Reference to the PneuStep project from Johns Hopkins University, which uses pneumatic actuation for precise motor control in medical applications, with debate about whether electronic encoders or purely fluidic systems would be more practical.

• Sharing of a comprehensive collection of microfluidics papers (59MB) containing research on gravity-driven particle sorting, microfluidic bioreactors for retrovirus output, and rapid prototyping techniques for microfluidic systems.

• Brief mention of alternative electrophoresis methods that could be implemented using hot wax patterning or laser printer techniques, potentially relevant to DIY biology applications.