- Hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterned surfaces were proposed as low-cost templates for fabricating high-density DNA arrays.  
- A recursive construction method for producing “perfect” DNA molecules from error-containing oligonucleotides was shared (UKPMC paper 1545998).  
- Discussion of oligonucleotide synthesis error rates: conventional phosphoramidite chemistry shows ~0.5 % coupling failure per step; deletions arise mainly from incomplete capping or detritylation (Hecker & Rill, 1998).  
- A manual syringe-based DNA synthesis protocol was located (13 min per nucleotide), prompting back-of-the-envelope estimates that synthesizing the Ebola genome would take ~375 days—highlighting the impracticality for DIY bio-terror scenarios.  
- Open-source CAD progress: fenn posted an early motor-mount design from HeeksCAD, illustrating the toolchain’s readiness for hardware prototyping.  
- Algae bioreactor design debate: flat, thin-layer (few-cm depth, large surface area) reactors were argued to be superior to vertical plates or deep ponds; harvesting micro-algae without expensive flocculants was identified as the key unsolved problem.  
- Wearable-display brainstorming: participants surveyed micro-OLED (eMagin 800×600, $1500/pair), LCOS, DLP, surplus Sony electronic viewfinders, and key-chain LCDs (240×160) as candidate 640×480 sources for DIY head-mounted displays; mounting concepts ranged from jeweler’s magnifier frames to skull-anchored titanium brackets.  
- Microfluidic prototyping hacks: using a Scotch-tape dispenser’s serrated edge to create 17 parallel Sharpie microchannels on CDs and repurposing PS2 disc motors for centrifugal microfluidics were demonstrated.  
- Google Scholar automation: kanzure collected scripts and mash-ups (AutoScholar, citation counters, RSS pipes, userscripts for pop-up blocking and starred-paper tracking) to streamline literature acquisition for open-science researchers.