• A 2018 Nature Biotech paper from the Keasling Lab introduced a de-novo DNA synthesis method in which terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is covalently fused to an unblocked nucleotide; after incorporation the enzyme remains bound to block further extension, then a cleavable tether is removed to expose the 3′ end for the next cycle, offering a potentially faster and cleaner alternative to phosphoramidite chemistry.

• Participants debated reversible chemistries for site-specific protein assembly with AFM tips—streptavidin-biotin, SpyTag/SpyCatcher, glutaraldehyde cross-linking, and electrochemical cleavage of unnatural amino acids—evaluating which could enable iterative “write/erase” nanofabrication.

• A “bulk nanotechnology” search strategy was proposed: randomly cross-linking shape-programmed nanoparticles or small proteins with glutaraldehyde inside an agarose gel, then screening the resulting heterogeneous structures en masse to isolate useful scaffolds for further tool building.

• Avida artificial-life simulations were reported to stagnate after ~100 000 generations and never evolve sexual reproduction, prompting discussion about what minimal environmental or selective pressures are required for sex to emerge in digital organisms.

• MIT’s “From Bacteria to Buildings” PhD defense by Steven Keating was highlighted as an example of extending biological fabrication principles—such as programmed growth and hierarchical assembly—to architectural-scale additive manufacturing.

• Links circulated included conductive amyloid nanowires templated with biotinylated gold nanoparticles (PNAS 2003) and sub-micron streptavidin patterning for high-density protein arrays (ACS Nano), illustrating hybrid bio-inorganic nanomaterials already demonstrated in the literature.

• Participants speculated that Earth’s ubiquitous dust and sandstorms could harbor vast quantities of undetected, discarded molecular nanotechnology, and proposed AFM-based “shotgun” screening followed by functional characterization as a first step toward discovering and repurposing any legacy nanodevices.

• A $500 whole-genome sequencing offer from Dante Labs was cited as evidence of rapidly collapsing genomics costs, relevant to large-scale health and trait tracking for open-source transhumanist projects.

• Key scanning-probe nanofabrication papers were shared, including low-energy e-beam generation of surface amino groups on aromatic SAMs, palladium-coated AFM tips for current-free catalytic patterning, and direct writing on graphene oxide via catalytic scanning probe lithography—several of which are cited by Robert Freitas in mechanosynthesis roadmaps.

• Sci-Hub and LibGen links (including a 2018-06-15 LibGen scimag database dump) were provided to ensure open access to the nanotech and genomics literature discussed.