- **Scar-less cloning alternatives**: BioBricks were criticized for incompatibility with fusion-protein work; Gibson Assembly and Clontech In-Fusion were endorsed as higher-efficiency, scar-less methods, with In-Fusion specifically recommended for multi-fragment ligations beyond two inserts.  
- **Chimeric antiviral construct proposed**: A His6–TAT–PKR–Apaf1 fusion protein was designed to trigger apoptosis selectively in virus-infected cells, supported by the PLoS ONE paper doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022572.  
- **Human whole-genome sequencing economics**: <$1,000 per genome is achievable via one HiSeq lane (5–7× coverage) for SNP genotyping; UC Davis core lab and Eureka Genomics were cited as service providers, though coverage is insufficient for de-novo assembly.  
- **DIY bioreactor debate**: Stainless-steel beer kegs were proposed for algae or yeast culture, but E. coli protein production was judged better suited to purpose-built glass or 316-steel bioreactors; a 400 L jacketed surplus unit on eBay was shared as an example.  
- **Scaling discipline emphasized**: ParahSailin stressed optimizing at flask scale first, noting that 1 L of E. coli culture saturates a standard nickel-affinity column, making keg-scale runs premature without validated yields.  
- **Patent-encumbered purification tags**: Ice-nucleation protein display, elastin-like peptide tags, and an AAV vector were discussed as IP-restricted alternatives to His6 tags, illustrating how patent fears can block open-source sharing of molecular tools.  
- **Decentralized federated learning prototype**: klafka is building a peer-to-peer ML system that trains local random-forest models and aggregates them into a global classifier without centralized data storage.  
- **Consciousness critique**: A 2014 Penrose paper claiming algorithmic computation is insufficient for consciousness was dismissed as rehashed dualism; Koch’s book was similarly criticized for “fuzzy” reasoning.