# Summary of IRC Log from February 7, 2015

• A researcher mentioned finding a paper related to Gudkov's conjecture in 4-manifold mathematics through citation chasing, indicating ongoing academic collaboration in theoretical mathematics.

• The UK government announced a £40 million fund for synthetic biology research, with Warwick University researchers winning £12 million to create a new research center, showing significant public investment in biotechnology.

• A discussion about "continuous DNA synthesis" took place, exploring how DNA synthesis machines could move from batch operations to continuous operations using mechanical tips and magnetic beads for product isolation, potentially increasing efficiency.

• A user shared information about Transcriptic, a robotic cloud biology lab that was hiring scientists and engineers, indicating growth in the automated biology sector.

• A technical discussion about neural recording technology examined the requirements for full-brain recording in mice, noting that approximately 7.5 million electrodes would be needed on a cubic lattice with 40 μm edge length to record from all neurons.

• Participants discussed microelectrode array specifications and FPGA requirements for neural interfaces, with one user noting that a 1200 I/O FPGA costs around $20,000 while a 976 I/O version costs $8,600.

• A user shared information about the ADAS1256 (a 256-channel, 16-bit digital X-ray analog front end) and the AFE0256 from Texas Instruments as potential components for neural recording systems, comparing their costs and capabilities.