- A new ACS Biochemistry review paper on “Template-independent enzymatic oligonucleotide synthesis (TiEOS)” was circulated, summarizing progress and challenges in using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) for de-novo DNA synthesis without templates.  
- A Nature paper describing a wearable, helmet-style magnetoencephalography (MEG) system was highlighted; it uses optically pumped magnetometers to enable mobile brain imaging outside shielded rooms.  
- Discussion critiqued the growing trend of adding “blockchain” and “AI” to project specifications, noting that clients now request process-monitoring and chain-of-custody data to be stored on a blockchain despite limited real utility.  
- Concrete, non-hype uses for blockchain in biotech were proposed: cryptographic timestamping of lab documents via Merkle-tree commitments, OpenTimestamps integration, and embedding material-transfer-agreement payments on-chain.  
- A draft set of “DNA synthesis tech development recommendations” was shared for community feedback, covering enzymatic synthesis, error rates, throughput targets, and integration with microfluidics.  
- Participants observed that wafer-level chip-scale packages (WLCSP) are rarely modified or bonded to micro/nanofluidic systems, suggesting an under-explored route for integrating electronics with lab-on-a-chip devices.