# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Conversation

• Participants discussed advanced biohacking techniques involving DNA introduction into Xenopus frogs, including the use of morpholinos and HOX genes for developmental biology experiments.

• The conversation revealed ongoing work with microfluidics and self-assembly technologies, referencing research from MIT and Seoul National University on capillary pumps, microvalves, and genetically engineered viruses for ordering quantum dots.

• There was significant interest in reconfigurable and spatial robotics, particularly micro-origami techniques that leverage capillary forces, magnetic materials, and surface tension for creating self-folding microstructures.

• A substantial portion of the log focused on troubleshooting PythonOCC (Python bindings for OpenCASCADE), with participants sharing specific solutions for compilation issues on Linux systems, including SWIG configuration fixes.

• Participants debated the need for more intuitive interfaces to complex CAD tools, specifically discussing how HeeksCAD uses OpenCASCADE for solid modeling and suggesting the development of more "pythonic" wrappers for OpenCASCADE's extensive API.

• A philosophical discussion emerged about open source versus proprietary business models, with some arguing that for-profit companies inevitably create barriers to competition regardless of initial intentions, exemplified by a debate about an "open source washing machine" project.