# Key Technical and Conceptual Points from #hplusroadmap

• Android encryption security evolved significantly with version 4.4 replacing the previous key derivation function with scrypt (more resistant to cracking), while Android L added hardware protection for encryption keys, making full disk encryption both more secure and faster.

• Researchers discussed alternative approaches to primate optogenetics, suggesting ultrasound as potentially more effective than current methods since it could affect more cells simultaneously, though this introduces experimental confounds due to vibration effects.

• Microfluidics technology was examined in detail, including a valveless design using DMD projection for DNA synthesis (PicoArray), with participants highlighting the need for more accessible microfluidic systems with simplified interfaces.

• The conversation revealed practical challenges in biotech commercialization, including how smaller reagent companies often rely on trade secrets rather than patents due to IP system concerns, and how larger corporations can leverage expensive litigation to eliminate competition.

• Laboratory automation faces significant reliability hurdles, with participants noting examples of equipment with high error rates (8%) despite simple functionality, explaining why some companies continue manual processes instead of automation.

• Emerging platforms like Transcriptic are enabling remote laboratory work through API-driven experiment execution, though participants expressed concerns about the security and reliability of such systems.

• Affordable genomic sequencing options were discussed, including GeneByGene's $200 test (providing raw data similar to 23andMe) and whole genome sequencing becoming available for approximately $900.