# Key Points from IRC Log (August 29, 2015)

• Chris_99 shared two hardware hacking videos from a conference: one about hacking chips inexpensively and another about "singing capacitors and whining inductors," showing interest in low-cost hardware exploration techniques.

• Kanzure shared several links about the Bitcoin block size debate, including an article on "how the Bitcoin experiment might fail" and discussions from the Linux Foundation mailing list, indicating ongoing technical governance challenges in cryptocurrency.

• A discussion about biological lab work revealed that glycoswitch pichia (yeast) cell lines are preferred over human cell lines for certain applications because they have less expensive media requirements, grow faster, and don't require the strict sterility and viral clearance that mammalian cells need.

• Yashgaroth mentioned that ligase assembly methods for 8-10mer oligos should work with inkjet printers, suggesting progress in low-cost DNA synthesis techniques.

• The approximate cost of starting a DIY biology lab was discussed, with Kanzure estimating $1,000-20,000 depending on equipment quality, and sharing a link to a bill of materials for DIY bio equipment.

• Super-resolution microscopy was mentioned as "the last interesting advance in biology," suggesting a perspective on the current state of biological research innovation.

• There was discussion about commercially available cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) shipping containers that could be used as mobile laboratory spaces.