# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• A significant advancement in DNA sequencing was shared: a new nanopore method published in Nature with an extremely low error rate (less than 1 in 500 million), described as "PEG-labeled nucleotides and nanopore detection for single molecule DNA sequencing by synthesis."

• Participants discussed limitations in open-source transhumanism, noting that only two biobricks are truly open source due to BPA/BPL licensing issues, and criticizing Open Source Ecology's wiki-based documentation approach as insufficient.

• The conversation addressed amateur genetic modification risks, specifically regarding proposals to disable the RGS14 gene in humans based on mouse studies, highlighting the dangerous gap between mouse models and human applications.

• A detailed explanation was provided about how mutations in the MTHFR gene can cause depression, and how supplementing with methyl-tetra-hydrofolate can help by enabling proper serotonin synthesis.

• The group debated longevity interventions, emphasizing that upregulating telomerase alone would likely increase cancer risk rather than extend lifespan, and that effective approaches require more complex mechanisms than single-gene modifications.

• Philosophical discussion emerged about whether fear of death is innate or cultural, with the observation that when a person's body is physically ready to die, they often no longer experience death anxiety.

• A Kickstarter project called "Labstrip" was mentioned, which turns an iPhone 4 into a personal mobile laboratory, though it was criticized for being a proprietary chemical strip tester rather than truly open source.