# Key Points from Biohacking and Transhumanist IRC Discussions

• Participants engaged in detailed technical discussions about genetic transformation methods for plants, focusing on using Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a vector for introducing bioluminescence genes, while noting that luciferase in plants typically produces disappointing results due to limited ATP availability in plant tissues.

• DIY genetic engineering techniques were extensively discussed, including heat shock transformation, calcium phosphate transfection, and alternative bacterial systems like Acinetobacter (as an alternative to E. coli), with participants sharing scientific papers on natural competence in bacteria.

• Community members demonstrated DIY scientific equipment construction, with one participant describing their work building gel electrophoresis trays using UV-curing glass glue, noting that polycarbonate is superior to acrylic for certain molecular weight separations.

• The group discussed open manufacturing concepts, including SKDB ("apt-get for hardware"), a project with a web frontend designed to compete with Thingiverse and Instructables by exposing a CAD kernel to the web with git-based project management.

• Alternative education models were explored, including a DIY university concept with references to P2PU.org and OCW Consortium, highlighting the need for accredited online education that acknowledges self-taught knowledge.

• Technical discussions included web development approaches (contrasting CSS/div layouts with table-based designs), MediaWiki site mirroring techniques, and networking troubleshooting for SSH lag issues between different ISPs.