# Key Ideas from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• Participants are developing SKDB (Societal-engineering Knowledge Database), an ambitious system for "downloading hardware from the web" that would allow users to automatically fabricate physical objects if they have the necessary machinery, with examples including complex devices like atomic force microscopes.

• The group is planning a multifunctional hackerspace/fablab in Austin that would integrate manufacturing capabilities, synthetic biology, and open-source hardware development, with discussions about sustainable funding models that balance public access with operational costs.

• DIY biotechnology was a central focus, with detailed technical discussions about gene synthesis methods, including using DLP projector technology and various oligonucleotide synthesis techniques documented in academic papers shared by participants.

• The community is actively working on a gene synthesis bidding website to connect with commercial synthesis companies, while simultaneously discussing regulatory challenges and legal complexities around DIY synthesis of DNA and nucleotide precursors.

• Participants shared specific technical resources including Paul Rothemund's DNA origami presentation, the book "Against Intellectual Monopoly," and a prototype for their gene synthesis bidding platform (genebay-test.html).

• The group expressed interest in resource-based economic models (referencing the Venus Project) as alternatives to competitive market systems, reflecting their broader philosophical alignment with open-access technology development.