# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion (March 30, 2012)

• A remarkable technical achievement was shared: a 32-bit ARM emulation running on an 8-bit AVR microcontroller successfully booted Linux (taking 2 hours), demonstrating the feasibility of running complex operating systems on severely limited hardware.

• Researchers discovered an unexpected grid-like structure in the human brain with "parallel and perpendicular fibers that cross each other in an orderly fashion," a finding previously unsuspected in higher animals.

• Participants discussed DIY microfluidics challenges, with hackteria.org's projects showing how to build a micro laser cutter from DVD drives and a laser diode (45mm x 45mm cutting area) for approximately $50, though interdisciplinary barriers between biology and engineering were noted as limiting progress.

• Genome sequencing costs were rapidly decreasing, with services potentially offering whole genome sequencing for around $5,000 (down from $150,000 four years prior), with references to Rob Carlson's biotechnology cost curves tracking this exponential decline.

• Ed Boyden's new paper on "Genetically encoded molecular tools for light-driven silencing of targeted neurons" was shared, representing advances in optogenetics for neural control.

• A biohacking concept was discussed involving sequencing the black soldier fly genome and inserting cellulase enzymes from termites to create organisms that could convert cellulose into insect protein for composting applications.

• Several participants expressed skepticism about Singularity University's approach, noting they charge $25,000 for a 6-week course and seemed disinterested in open hardware projects not focused on intellectual property.