# Summary of IRC Log Discussion

* Participants discussed the 555 integrated circuit, a through-hole electronic chip used for creating analog circuits, with one user mentioning plans to use it for building a Lunetta with trigger inputs.

* A conversation about laser technology included discussion of regulated power supplies for driving a 405nm diode and the power requirements for cutting metal with CO2 lasers (noting that hundreds of watts are needed, with 40W barely able to etch aluminum foil).

* Users shared PCB fabrication techniques, including a method of spraying black paint on a PCB, laser etching it, and then acid etching as a potential alternative to photoresist methods.

* There was discussion about DNA compression algorithms, with one user sharing resources (http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/DNA/bits/) and noting that DNA is somewhat compressible, with suggestions to explore lossless compression algorithms like LZ.

* A user shared a Carolina transformations manual (http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/diybio/Carolina_transformations_manual.pdf) related to genetic transformation techniques, leading to a brief discussion about GFP transformation kits.

* Programming topics included discussion of interfacing Python with C code, with one user mentioning experience creating C compiled libraries/functions that could be imported and called from Python scripts.