- OpenDrop, an open-source electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) platform, is being explored as a low-cost way to shuttle picolitre droplets of DNA-ligation reagents across printed oligo arrays, eliminating the need for microfluidic channels and enabling on-chip gene assembly.  
- A proposed workflow combines inkjet-printed 8–10-mer oligos with EWOD droplet transport and cycled ligation assembly (CLA) to build 200–300 bp constructs; participants debated whether 8-mers are long enough for reliable T4 ligase recognition and how to avoid palindromic/repeat artifacts.  
- Technical challenges discussed include evaporation at 95 °C during hybridization, droplet spreading on siloxane-treated glass, and the need for oil overlays, cover slips, or vapor-pressure control; magnetic-bead tethering plus wash steps was outlined as a multiplexed purification strategy.  
- Repurposing LCD/TFT panels as high-voltage electrode arrays and a piezoelectric “finger-powered” EWOD variant (40 V from mechanical taps) were suggested to cut hardware costs and remove external power supplies.  
- FourFire laid out a long-term plan to evolve novel genes in silico (using GROMACS/PyMOL) that confer delayed cellular asphyxiation and a three-fold reduction in spontaneous mutation rate, followed by CRISPR insertion into the human genome.  
- Follistatin-Fc fusion protein expressed in Pichia pastoris was highlighted as a DIY-accessible myostatin inhibitor for longevity, with 100 mg/L yields potentially making sub-$100 injections feasible.  
- Kanzure circulated a draft “help-wanted” ad for open-source oligonucleotide chemists, and the group requested more safety data on phosphoramidite nucleotides while acknowledging that a chemist is still the missing link for validating phosphoramidite-free chemistries at picolitre scales.  
- Links and resources shared include the GaudiLabs OpenDrop site, Hackteria electrowetting wiki, GitHub OpenFlux schematics, NanoEngineer CAD for molecular-machine design, a NYT article on global DNA mass production, and PLOS ONE papers on cycled-ligation assembly and low-cost EWOD fabrication.