# Key Points from Transhumanist IRC Discussions

• Researchers explored using azobenzene amino acids for protein engineering, which can trigger multiple conformational changes when illuminated, though concerns were raised about switching speeds being too slow for certain applications.

• Kanzure proposed an innovative approach combining catalytic domains from ribozyme RNA polymerase with ribosome components to create enhanced polymerases, noting that synthetases have been successfully engineered to transport various molecules.

• The conversation highlighted current limitations in DNA synthesis technologies, particularly challenges with DNA ligation on inkjet beds, while discussing alternative methods including reservoir flow (used by Twist Biosciences), EWOD, and micropipetting.

• Participants questioned fundamental assumptions in protein folding simulations, noting that tools like Foldit may be limited by assuming proteins fold to the lowest energy configuration, when in reality folding dynamics are more complex and some proteins are intrinsically disordered.

• The group discussed simplifying protein design through constrained amino acid sets and repetitive sequences, with several papers shared on rational design of α-helical tandem repeat proteins and computational approaches to protein design.

• A significant resource was shared containing comprehensive collections of polymerases, nucleotidyl transferases, primases, and poly(A) polymerases in PDB format, valuable for researchers in synthetic biology.