Hydrogel process developed at Stanford creates transparent brain

http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2013/april/clarity.html

by theoutlander • 13 years ago

63 11 13 years ago

med.stanford.edu

robot• 13 years ago

This is a very impressive (yet simple) methodology in that before this there was no understanding of where certain neurons were projecting in the brain, due to the fat tissue blocking any imaging possibilities. After this many connections were uncovered that were not well understood for years.

solox3• 13 years ago

Whole organ decellularization is not new - we've had transparent heart ECMs for quite some time. By loading the brain here with monomers, they kill the organ, whereas you can still use the transparent heart if you reload it with cells. Similar thing, different purposes.

JulianMorrison• 13 years ago

You kill it, but I have to wonder if you kill the information? it sounds like it could be used to do uploads, transhumanism style.

swamp40• 13 years ago

That totally freaks me out...

RVijay007• 13 years ago

Just to clarify, this is not whole organ decellularization. The brain tissue, with it's neurons, glia, ECM, are left all in tact, along with their proteins, mRNA, etc.

Now, instead of having to slice the brain into micrometer slices just to understand architecture at a localized level, you can understand the architecture of the whole brain's network down to the cellular level, as well as do both immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization to probe what kind of proteins and molecular markers are present throughout the brain. This is nothing short of a revolution in experimental technique not only for neuroscience, but all of pathology.

hodder• 13 years ago

http://longbets.org/1/

"Second, this phenomenon of ongoing exponential growth through a cascade of S-curves is far broader than computation. We see the same double exponential growth in a wide range of technologies, including communication technologies (wired and wireless), biological technologies (e.g., DNA base-pair sequencing), miniaturization, and of particular importance to the software of intelligence, brain reverse engineering (e.g., brain scanning, neuronal and brain region modeling)." -Kurzweil

kragen• 13 years ago

Summary: infuse brain with hydrogel monomers, polymerize to form permeable polymer matrix, remove lipids with vigorous electrophoresis, bingo, transparent brain.

jmatthis• 13 years ago

A video explaining and showing the technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-NMfp13Uug

ritonlajoie• 13 years ago

do you think they are going to try to do it on a live mouse brain?

graycat• 13 years ago

Boy, sounds like that process would result in one super Excedrin headache number 195,455,223,391. Go ahead. I'll give up my place in line. You first!

slacka• 13 years ago

This is huge for the fields of AI and Neuroscience. I would gladly donate my brain( preferably when I'm done with it) to give neuroscientists a map of the human brain. This map would be a great first step to creating strong AI.

Hydrogel process developed at Stanford creates transparent brain

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