• SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) was proposed as a route to programmable DNA/RNA aptamers for molecular bar-coding and connectome mapping, citing the Zador lab’s MAPseq/SynSeq work.

• A reagent-less, ultra-high-density storage concept was debated: encode bits in bistable secondary-structure “monomers” on a DNA-like biopolymer tape, write with resonant phonon/IR/polariton excitation, and read via nanopore current signatures; rotaxanes were suggested as electrically switchable, bistable alternatives to DNA.

• IARPA’s molecular-data-storage initiative aims to pack many exabytes into <1 kg of DNA or equivalent polymer, motivated by an anticipated silicon shortage for flash memory; practical workflows already use inkjet synthesis of 20–200 bp oligos on 100-million-spot arrays followed by PCR-based retrieval.

• IBM’s “DNA transistor” (RC24242) was highlighted: an atomically-precise metal–insulator nanopore that traps DNA in electrostatic wells and performs “digital electrophoresis” to advance the strand one nucleotide at ~500 MHz, offering a potential read/write mechanism for DNA-based memory.

• Participants explored reversible methylation of cytosine chains as writable bits, proposing electric current to remove methyl groups for “0/1” states and methyltransferase/demethylase enzymes for reversibility, while noting that polymerases and other helper enzymes may degrade long before the DNA itself.

• Open-source RISC-V cores were catalogued: Berkeley’s out-of-order BOOM v2 (EECS-2017-157), CSAIL’s Bluespec “riscy” cores, SpinalHDL’s VexRiscv, and Clifford Wolf’s PicoRV32—all publicly available on GitHub.

• @whitequark released their entire human genome under CC-BY-NC on Zenodo (DOI:10.5281/zenodo.995635 & 995725), adding another openly accessible personal genomic data set to the commons.

• NASA NIAC 2017 symposium links circulated, covering optical asteroid mining, torpor habitats, and area-of-effect soft robots for space applications, while channel members expressed skepticism about the thermodynamic efficiency of pneumatic soft actuators.