Update on the Brain Preservation Foundation Prize

Sure. Basically, there are two groups, each of which has made a major contribution:

1) Shawn Mikula and his group. They have made substantial progress (some would say, almost solved) of how to make the neuronal connections and other brain structures such as white matter tracts in a full mouse brain traceable using electron microscopy. Electron microscopy is the lowest level of imaging currently feasible, and can clearly resolve structures that are thought to be key to memory such as synapses.

2) The 21CM group, including Robert McIntyre. They have developed a totally new method of preserving a brain that should yield both highly practical and technical sound preservation. In a sense it combines the methods discussed by Gwern in his article Plastination vs Cryonics, because it first uses a method traditionally associated with "plastination" (glutaraldehyde perfusion), and then uses a method traditionally associated with cryonics, i.e. perfusion with a cryoprotective agent and then low temperature storage and, presumably, vitrification, which means that damage from ice crystal formation should be avoided and the brain should turn a glass state.

Apologies if this is still too technical and I'm happy to answer any follow-up questions. Many key steps remain but this is progress worthy of celebrating and, in my view, supporting.