# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• Researchers discussed blood-borne factors affecting brain rejuvenation, specifically how young blood contains soluble factors that improve cognitive function while aged blood contains factors like CCL11 that impair it, referencing findings published in JAMA Neurology.

• Toxoplasma gondii was analyzed as a potential model for microbial brain targeting, with detailed discussion of how it forms cysts in specific brain regions (olfactory bulb, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus) while avoiding the cerebellum due to its unique cytoarchitecture.

• Participants debated mechanisms for controlling engineered microbes in the brain, including antibiotics (with blood-brain barrier limitations), regulated porins for cell lysis, sulfadiazine administration, and a novel diet-based control system where microbes would require specific nutrients.

• DNA synthesis technology was discussed with a focus on phosphoramidite chemistry as the most practical approach for DNA printers, with reference to the POSaM (Piezoelectric Oligonucleotide Synthesizer and Microarrayer) system.

• A Nature Materials paper on the epitaxial growth of two-dimensional stanene was shared, representing progress in novel materials development with potential applications in technology.

• Blockchain technology for financial applications was discussed, specifically Overstock's "t0" platform which connects to traditional financial systems while maintaining blockchain-agnosticism.