Image: Model (left) and high resolution image (right) of the nanoengineered micropipette with holes to distribute electrical current. Credit: Daniel Schwarz
In a feat of nanoengineering, scientists have developed a new technique to map electrical circuits in the brain far more comprehensively than ever before.
In the brain, dedicated groups of neurons that connect up in microcircuits help us process information about things we see, smell and taste. Knowing how many and what type of cells make up these microcircuits would give scientists a deeper understanding of how the brain computes complex information about the world around us. But existing techniques have failed to paint a complete picture.
The new technique, developed by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, overcomes previous limitations and has enabled them to map out all 250 cells that make up a microcircuit in part of a mouse brain that processes smell – something that has never been achieved before.
The method, published in Nature Communications today, could be used by scientists worldwide to uncover the architecture of different parts of the brain.
“Traditionally, scientists have either used colour-tagged viruses or charged dyes with an applied electric current to stain brain cells, but these approaches either don’t label all cells or they damage the surrounding tissue,” said Andreas Schaefer, Group Leader at the Crick who led the research.
By creating a series of tiny holes near the end of a micropipette using nano-engineering tools, the team found that they could use charged dyes but distribute the electrical current over a wider area, to stain cells without damaging them. And unlike methods that use viral vectors, they could stain up to 100% of the cells in the microcircuit they were investigating. They also managed to work out the proportions of different cell types in this circuit, which may give clues into the function of this part of the brain.
Andreas added: “We’re obviously working at a really small scale, but as the brain is made up of repeating units, we can learn a lot about how the brain works as a computational machine by studying it at this level. Now that we have a tool of mapping these tiny units, we can start to interfere with specific cell types to see how they directly control behaviour and sensory processing.”
Learn more: New method to map miniature brain circuits
The Latest on: Brain mapping
-
Brain Mapping Can Help Kids with Autism
on April 17, 2018 at 7:49 pm
SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) - Brain mapping is a technique that can help focus the minds of Autistic children. It can also connect and settle down the rapid firing connections in their brains that interfere with learning, relationships and the joys of life. […]
-
Are we getting closer to a complete brain mapping? New devices explore more regions safely
on April 16, 2018 at 3:45 am
Science has yet to unravel a complete understanding of the brain and all its intricate workings. It’s not for lack of effort. Over many decades, multiple research studies have sought to understand the dizzying “talk,” or interconnectivity, between ... […]
-
This polymer material could help map our brain
on April 16, 2018 at 1:05 am
The thin, flexible polymer-based material, called Parylene C, was developed by a team at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The materials are used in microelectrode arrays that record activity in more subregions of the brain and with more specific ... […]
-
Thin, flexible polymers record 'conversations' deeper in the brain with less injury-risk
on April 15, 2018 at 12:13 pm
The goal: to one day arrive at a complete brain "mapping" -- a feat that could unlock tremendous therapeutic potential. Researchers at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering have developed thin, flexible polymer-based materials ... […]
-
Video: Innovative brain-mapping techniques could unlock neuroscience secrets
on April 12, 2018 at 8:17 am
What [neuroscientist Tony] Zador showed me was a map of 50,000 neurons in the cerebral cortex of a mouse. It indicated where the cell bodies of every neuron sat and where they sent their long axon branches. A neural map of this size and detail has never ... […]
-
Researchers develop thin, flexible polymers to record activity more deeply in the brain
on April 11, 2018 at 8:02 pm
The goal: to one day arrive at a complete brain "mapping" -- a feat that could unlock tremendous therapeutic potential. Researchers at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering have developed thin, flexible polymer-based materials ... […]
-
Thin, Flexible Polymers Allow to Record Activity Deeper in Brain with Less Risk of Injury
on April 11, 2018 at 1:41 pm
The goal: to one day arrive at a complete brain "mapping" -- a feat that could unlock tremendous therapeutic potential. Researchers at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering have developed thin, flexible polymer-based materials ... […]
-
New Brain Maps With Unmatched Detail May Change Neuroscience
on April 8, 2018 at 4:00 am
A neural map of this size and detail has never been made before. Forgoing the traditional method of brain mapping that involves marking neurons with fluorescence, Zador had taken an unusual approach that drew on the long tradition of molecular biology ... […]
-
Revolutionary brain-mapping technique provides new blueprint for cortical connections
on March 28, 2018 at 10:04 am
The large, triangular-shaped central area identifies the primary visual cortex in mouse. By barcoding 591 neurons in this region, the team used MAPseq to discover patterns of their projections to nearby higher visual cortical areas. Each of the latter is ... […]
-
Revolutionary brain-mapping technique provides new blueprint for cortical connections
on March 27, 2018 at 5:00 pm
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., March 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Using a revolutionary new brain-mapping technology recently developed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), an international team of scientists led by Professor Anthony Zador has made a discovery ... […]
via Google News and Bing News