# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion (March 21, 2009)

• A method for obtaining carbon nanotubes from grass was discussed, involving rapid heat treatment to 600°C, but was criticized for its complexity (50 treatment steps) and low yield rate of approximately 15%.

• Research on synesthesia was shared, including work by Jamie Ward (http://www.syn.sussex.ac.uk/) that implicates the HTR2A gene on chromosome 13q as a potential cause, with observations that Prozac can inhibit synesthesia and LSD may produce similar effects.

• Participants discussed microfluidics techniques, particularly a paper demonstrating how to create 0.2 micron microchannels using Sharpie ink and CD surfaces (http://heybryan.org/books/papers/microfluidics/Patterning%20Design%20in%20Color%20at%20the%20Submicron%20Scale%20-%20Arun%20Chattopadhyay.pdf).

• The channel discussed DIYbio (do-it-yourself biology) applications, including the possibility of home DNA synthesis and purification of substances like insulin using microfluidic circuits drawn with Sharpies.

• A resource on DNA synthesizer technology was shared (http://heybryan.org/mediawiki/index.php/DNA_synthesizer), including information on the origin of oligonucleotide impurities and errors in synthesis.

• Participants explored the idea of using burned CDs as photomasks for fabrication, discussing how to map images to the physical structure of disks to create consistent patterns.