- Microsoft Research’s recent publications on digital microfluidics (DMF) describe a PCIe-controlled microelectrode array that can drive, park, and later retrieve dried droplet “pellets” by adding NaHCO₃ to create CO₂ bubbles that re-suspend particles—an effervescent-tablet trick repurposed for lab automation.  
- A 2022 patent (US 11,305,253) covers high-surface-area coatings for solid-phase DNA synthesis, noting that agarose and other polysaccharides provide native hydroxyl groups but can be damaged by acetonitrile used in phosphoramidite chemistry.  
- Electrochemical oligonucleotide deprotection is achieved by locally generating acid via hydroquinone oxidation at 50 µm addressable electrodes; Mathematica diffusion simulations were shown to model the confined acid fronts.  
- Atom Probe Tomography (APT) was highlighted as the only technique giving 3-D elemental maps with sub-nanometer resolution, though it is inherently destructive; participants asked whether sub-diffraction fluorescence methods (PALM/STORM-like) could ever reach single-atom imaging of inorganic species.  
- A 24-year longitudinal study on “active aging” (DOI 10.1155/2012/420637) was circulated, prompting discussion on antioxidants, magnesium balance, and the health effects of high-dose caffeine and phosphoric-acid-containing soft drinks.  
- The Survival and Flourishing Fund’s 2022 H1 grant list was critiqued for entries such as cave-exploration nonprofits, raising questions about how underground survival projects relate to long-term human flourishing.