- Genspace (a community biology lab in NYC) was described as a “typical molecular biology lab” that quietly stocks multiple copies of *The Singularity Is Near* yet avoids overt discussion of transhumanist topics such as gene therapy.  
- Participants framed viral plasmid infection as a practical analogue to human gene therapy, highlighting the overlap between DIY biology and medical enhancement research.  
- A debate over DNA-synthesis economics centered on whether massively parallel, on-chip oligo synthesis can push costs below $1 per kilobase pair; a Duke paper (linked) claims $0.001/bp for 30 kb sequences, but error-correction and assembly overhead were argued to raise the effective price to ~$2 k per megabase.  
- Error-rate reduction strategies were discussed, including real-time sequencing of 1 kb assembly intermediates, selective re-amplification, and yeast-based homologous recombination to bypass restriction-enzyme bottlenecks.  
- The practicality of very-long-PCR (>5 kb) was questioned; newer high-processivity polymerases were noted as potential solutions, though empirical performance data remain scarce.  
- DIY biology activity at Noisebridge was attributed to Rikke Rasmussen and Rolf van Widenfelt, who are reportedly cultivating mycelium cultures and converting a “bio stuff” storage box previously filled with MakerBot parts into functional lab equipment.  
- A CNC router originally built for acrylic sign-making was offered as idle hardware that could be repurposed for bio-fabrication projects in San Antonio.  
- The “agrocircle” concept—a robot arm mounted on a rotating irrigation pipe—was mentioned as an intriguing agricultural automation prototype.  
- A brief philosophical aside questioned the scientific validity of the “sense of agency,” with a call for experimental paradigms using dissociative animal models rather than introspective human reports.