# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Participants were developing SKDB, described as "apt-get for real stuff" - an open-source hardware package manager that would allow users to request physical objects similar to how software packages are installed, with ongoing work to integrate LEGO components via a Python API.

• The group discussed DIY DNA synthesis challenges, identifying purification as a major bottleneck requiring specialized equipment like column chromatography rather than simple distillation for nucleotides.

• A tool called Pyscholar was being developed to scrape academic papers from Google Scholar and ScienceDirect, with plans to implement a system where users could request papers via YAML files in their home directories.

• Participants explored the potential of RepRap 3D printers (costing $500-700 to build versus $2,500 pre-built) for creating LEGO-compatible parts, with specific mentions of z-axis modifications that could reduce costs.

• The conversation touched on Theodore Berger's artificial hippocampus project, noting it functions like a digital signal processor but hadn't yet been tested in rats, highlighting the need for open infrastructure for distributed peer-to-peer research.

• There was significant interest in micro-industrial scale chemical synthesis for DIY scientists, discussing equipment needs and the potential for automated chemical synthesis through retrosynthetic analysis and microfluidics as alternatives to large industrial facilities.