# Key Points from IRC Discussions on Transhumanism and Advanced Technology

• Researchers are developing molecular nanotechnology CAD software, with one participant creating a Lisp-based tool designed to handle models with millions of atoms, while others debated whether NanoEngineer-1 software adequately accounts for all relevant chemical interactions in its simulations.

• The conversation revealed an ongoing debate about the most promising approaches to molecular manufacturing, contrasting protein/foldamer engineering (which Drexler reportedly now focuses on) against UHV-STM methods, with companies like Zyvex Labs pursuing epitaxy approaches toward "rudimentary molecular manufacturing" by 2020.

• A significant advancement in DNA nanotechnology was highlighted: a DNA-origami structure functioning as an ion channel, demonstrating the potential of designed DNA nanostructures for creating functional molecular machines.

• German cryonicists are establishing a local provider by renting lab space and planning to test VM-1 (Pichugin's vitrifiable perfusate) on a human cadaver, indicating progress in international cryonics infrastructure.

• Following Aaron Swartz's death, participants discussed academic publishing reform and debated database architecture options for storing and sharing scientific literature, with suggestions for a hybrid PostgreSQL approach using structured tables plus JSON for flexible data storage.

• Participants engaged in detailed technical discussions about genetic engineering challenges, explaining that the primary difficulty isn't inserting genes into cells but making them work properly with the cell's existing machinery, with complications arising from metabolic intermediates and unintended effects.