# Summary of IRC Log (May 31, 2011)

• A Duke University research team developed a new chip for parallel on-chip gene synthesis that reportedly reduces DNA synthesis costs to less than half a cent per base pair, compared to the previous cost of fifty cents to a dollar per base pair, as documented in their Nature Biotechnology paper.

• The researchers used inkjet technology for their DNA synthesis method, though kanzure noted their cost analysis seemed "fishy" as phosphoramidite chemistry costs are typically cited with respect to bead-based DNA synthesis rather than microarray synthesis.

• David Pearce (mentioned in conversation) expressed concerns about pharmaceutical companies attempting to monopolize drug-related domain names, noting how Teva Pharmaceuticals threatened legal action over the rasagiline.com domain.

• A USA Today article about biohacking/biopunk was mentioned as being scheduled for print publication the following day (June 1, 2011).

• A discussion about pre-IPO stock options in salary negotiations yielded the advice to never accept stock in lieu of salary, with QuantumG noting they are "almost always just worthless bait" that rarely pay off.

• A university program specializing in open source technologies was briefly mentioned as an educational opportunity.