# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion (Feb 5, 2014)

• A paper on enzymatic fuel cells was discussed, describing sugar-powered biobatteries with potentially 10x the energy density of lithium batteries, though concerns were raised about enzyme stability at room temperature and economic viability of components like nafion.

• DARPA's Open Catalog was shared (http://www.darpa.mil/OpenCatalog/index.html), providing access to DARPA-funded software and publications as a resource for researchers.

• Algorithmia.com was discussed as an "open marketplace for algorithms" that allows developers to upload code and make it available as a REST API, though questions were raised about its scaling limitations.

• A user described working on desktop biolab prototypes, including an improved alternative to lightbulb PCR with better performance and a PCR design intended for small-scale production.

• Kanzure criticized the concept of crowd-funding scientific research (referencing Microryza's rebranding as experiment.com) as ineffective compared to internal funding mechanisms within pharmaceutical companies.

• A cryptography breakthrough reported in Wired was shared, with participants expressing interest in finding working code that implemented the concept.

• Garbled circuits were mentioned as a cryptographic technique that would likely see widespread use in the future, with reference to an accessible thesis on the topic.