# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Discussions

• Participants debated approaches to building an affordable DIY microscope-based lithography system for microfluidics applications, with tension between rapid prototyping with inexpensive components versus designing to precise specifications.

• The group discussed technical specifications for a microfabrication system, including frame materials (cast iron preferred), motion control systems, and camera options like the Microsoft Lifecam Studio and Raspberry Pi camera for high-resolution imaging.

• A significant focus was placed on microfluidics fabrication techniques that could enable DIY biology applications, with the goal of creating affordable alternatives to expensive lab equipment like PCR machines that could be fabricated for under $150 instead of $20,000.

• Participants shared resources on microscope optics, including methods for mounting infinity-corrected microscope objectives on cameras and using microscope objectives with camera bellows for improved imaging.

• The conversation highlighted measurement challenges in microscopy, referencing a Nature journal paper claiming that "90% of the published measurements are false" in submicron particle size analysis.

• The group discussed tangential flow filtration as a promising technique for microfluidics applications, particularly for separating DNA strands and maintaining cells on-chip while harvesting antibodies.

• There was interest in open source hardware and software tools, including references to an open source embedded microprocessor core (Moxie), libswarm for service topology simulation, and efforts to extract Zotero's translator functionality for improved paper retrieval automation.