- A wobble-generator / silicone-actuator motor concept was discussed as a way to reach ≥200 oz-in torque in a compact form; Lego’s micromotor teardown was cited as prior art showing a miniature gear-in-gear reduction that may share the same kinematics.  
- Microfluidic “desktop micro-chemical plants” were framed as the next enabling layer for bio- and chem-hackers, with emphasis on their high surface-to-volume ratio and low thermal mass for running otherwise dangerous exothermic reactions.  
- Participants sketched a vision of microfluidic arrays for high-throughput directed evolution: using gradient selection (e.g., polymerases active a few degrees below Taq’s optimum) to evolve room-temperature enzymes or microbes that over-produce industrial precursors such as benzene or ethylene.  
- A curated dump of Babak A. Parviz’s papers (http://heybryan.org/books/papers/parviz/) was shared, covering self-assembly via capillary forces, electron-tunneling DNA sequencing, living-Drosophila MEMS substrates, and single-crystal Si circuits on plastic.  
- The recent shutdown of Codon Devices (George Church, Jay Keasling, Drew Endy) after an $11 M raise was noted as a cautionary data point for synthetic-biology ventures.  
- Historical microbial-morphogenesis experiments were highlighted, including Sonneborn’s two-mouthed Paramecium and the discovery that yeast “bud scars” remain on the cell membrane—evidence that membranes can be permanently “scarred.”  
- A call went out for tools that map academic ancestry between authors; meanwhile, a YouTube playlist of engineered microorganisms and “Star-Wars” style micro-videos was circulated for visual inspiration.