# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Backyard Brains demonstrated neural stimulation techniques through creative music videos showing squid fins and cockroach legs responding to music, illustrating basic principles of neurostimulation in a visually engaging format.

• Participants explored significant challenges in cryopreservation, particularly the mechanical fragility of vitrified tissue and difficulties in delivering cryoprotectants to myelinated brain cells, with innovative solutions proposed including axoplasmic transport systems.

• The group discussed advanced approaches to neural interfaces, comparing Utah Arrays (multielectrode arrays) unfavorably to optogenetics due to resolution limitations and tissue rejection issues.

• Technical conversations covered viral vectors for gene therapy, with particular focus on Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) as a potentially ideal vector for nervous system gene delivery due to its large DNA capacity and ability to persist in postmitotic cells.

• Participants shared educational resources for molecular biology, including recommended textbooks and a synthetic biology primer, while emphasizing the importance of foundational knowledge before attempting complex genetic engineering procedures.

• The discussion highlighted practical limitations of DIY genetic engineering, noting that techniques like microinjection required for creating transgenic organisms remain beyond typical garage laboratory capabilities.