# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Participants shared Modelica-related installation scripts (install-jmodelica and install-openmodelica) and simulation examples, indicating interest in this engineering modeling language for technical applications.

• Chemical informatics tools were discussed, including cinfony, OpenBabel Python bindings, and RDKit, reflecting ongoing work in computational chemistry and molecular modeling.

• The SKDB project (a hardware package management system) was discussed with emphasis on developing a clearer "elevator pitch" to make the concept accessible to non-technical audiences.

• A biohacker described plans to compare different gel media (agar, agarose, and polyacrylamide) for DNA separation experiments, with intentions to document and share results, demonstrating practical DIYbio experimentation.

• Various hackerspace development options were evaluated, including building a garage workshop, forming a non-profit to build a warehouse, renting existing space, or relocating, with reference to a 3000 sq ft space in Austin.

• Technical troubleshooting of PythonOCC (Python bindings for OpenCASCADE) revealed compiler flag issues related to architecture settings, highlighting the practical challenges in open-source development work.

• Funding strategies were compared, with the observation that smaller grants ($100K range) may have higher acceptance rates (~30%) than larger ones, particularly in fields like non-cell systems through NYSTEM.