- Planarian memory persistence after decapitation and regeneration was debated; participants questioned whether memories are stored in non-neuronal bioelectric patterns or if the reported results are artifacts of selection bias in the experimental protocol.  
- Twist Bioscience’s advertised cost of $1 × 10⁻¹² per base pair was dissected; the figure appears to cover only marginal consumables (e.g., phosphoramidites) and omits labor, QA, sequencing, and capital costs, making real-world prices closer to $0.03–$0.07 per base pair for delivered genes.  
- Mechanical alignment of ink-jet printheads for microfluidic DNA synthesis was discussed; screws alone are insufficient for micron-scale repeatability, and kinematic mounts or dowel-pin systems were recommended instead.  
- A Nature paper on multi-responsive surfactant-coated droplets was highlighted; droplets can be manipulated magnetically, optically, and electrically to form gear-like rotating assemblies and programmable chemical reactors.  
- SURVEYOR nuclease (a celery-derived mismatch endonuclease) was noted as a tool for high-specificity mutation scanning and error correction in synthetic DNA workflows.  
- Indium tin oxide (ITO) and ultrasonic atomizers were mentioned as enabling materials for low-cost, transparent electrodes and micro-droplet generation in open-source lab hardware.  
- Participants shared practical resources: Glen Research’s 2017 catalog for oligo reagents, Sphere Fluidics’ droplet-microfluidics platform, and surplus spectrometers from American Science & Surplus for DIY bio-labs.