- Researchers discussed ultra-fast PCR systems that use gold nanoparticles and lasers to heat microliter volumes in seconds, claiming 30 cycles in <10 min versus ~18 min for conventional RT-PCR.  
- Idaho Technology’s now-discontinued “RapidCycler” achieved 30 PCR cycles in 10 min by heating thin glass capillaries with a halogen lamp and cooling with forced air, outperforming slower Peltier-block thermocyclers.  
- The group explored why simple water-bath or ice-water dunking—used in early PCR—has fallen out of favor despite offering very high heating/cooling rates and negligible cost.  
- Taq polymerase speed was revisited: modern enzymes run at 2–4 kb/min, making thermal ramp time—not enzyme kinetics—the dominant bottleneck in fast PCR workflows.  
- A Nature Nanotechnology paper (2022) on plasmonic PCR was cited, showing 40–45 cycles with 0–1 s high-temperature pulses and 0–8 s low-temperature steps, highlighting the role of rapid radiative heating.  
- Discussion extended to cryopreservation chemistry: leveraging colligative freezing-point depression plus ice-blocking polymers to vitrify tissues without lethal ice formation, referencing the classic rabbit kidney experiment.  
- Participants noted that achieving uniform, calibrated temperature feedback remains the critical engineering challenge for both ultra-fast PCR and controlled-rate cryopreservation protocols.