# Summary of #hplusroadmap IRC Log (Jan 29, 2017)

* Discussion of bacterial vectors for gene therapy (bactofection), where bacteria containing plasmid DNA can enter mammalian cells and deliver genetic material, with mentions of specific bacteria like Shigella flexneri, Salmonella, E. coli, and Yersinia enterocolitica that can be used as transport molecules.

* Jenda shared information about low-cost tools for debugging serial communication, recommending a "saleae logic" clone ($7 on eBay) that works with sigrok/pulseview on Linux for analyzing signals below 8 bits and 24 MHz.

* Conversation about acquiring a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for a hackerspace (brmlab), with discussion of the logistics and costs of transporting such equipment internationally.

* Multiple research papers were shared about hippocampus structure and memory function, including studies on how CA3 size predicts memory recall precision, and how spine density in the hippocampus increases with associative memory formation.

* Research was discussed on the neurotrophic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which increases dopamine metabolism in the brain and can manipulate brain monoamines, potentially affecting behavior.

* Several cognitive enhancement compounds were mentioned, including Rolipram (a PDE4 inhibitor that improves memory and enhances wakefulness) and CX717 (an ampakine that improves cognitive functioning and counteracts sleep deprivation).

* A link was shared to an index of various open-source VHDL projects at freerangefactory.org/cores.html, potentially useful for hardware development.