The World, the Universe and Us Scientists Can Now Preserve a Brain After Death - What’s Next?
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Mar 25, 2026 Thomas Lewton, science journalist on consciousness and ethics, and Alexandra Thompson, science editor who detailed Nectome’s pig-brain preservation protocol, explore a technique that preserves whole-brain structure. They discuss the preservation method, timing and technical hurdles. The conversation covers ethical questions around offering the procedure to terminally ill people and whether preserved brains could ever be revived or have minds reconstructed.
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Whole Brain Structure Can Be Locked For Centuries
- Nectome preserved a whole pig brain by flushing blood, fixing tissues with aldehydes, adding cryoprotectants, and cooling to −32°C to prevent ice damage.
- Alexandra Thompson reports that this protocol can maintain structural preservation potentially for hundreds of years when begun quickly after death.
Minutes Matter For Brain Preservation Quality
- Preservation quality fell sharply with delays: perfusion at ~18 minutes post-mortem showed damage, while reducing that to 14 minutes gave much better neuron and synapse preservation.
- Alexandra Thompson emphasises the protocol's timing is critical because enzymes begin digesting cells within minutes of circulatory stop.
Assisted Dying Enables Immediate Preservation Attempts
- Nectome plans to offer preservation during physician-assisted death in Oregon so the team can be present immediately to begin perfusion.
- Rowan Hooper highlights the company explicitly links the protocol to future hopes of 'reconstructing' minds.