Katharina Buczek
Two hundred years ago, a Spanish physician named Santiago Ramón y Cajal pioneered the field of neuroscience.
He was enthralled by the neurons he saw through his microscope and hand-drew each one he discovered.
Now, Cajal’s meticulous neuro-mapping work has been revolutionized through the technological application of mathematics.
The EPFL Blue Brain Project is a “Swiss brain research initiative” that has successfully used algebraic topology to create an algorithm that can synthesize and render neurons in 3D.
The algorithm, known as Topical Neuronal Synthesis (TNS), is able to replicate digital twins of millions of unique neuronal cells.
This innovation is groundbreaking for the computational neuroscience field. Biologically-accurate models of neuronal networks are in growing demand, and TNS is able to deliver just that.
These 3D models will help scientists differentiate cell types, understand their role in the brain, analyze how abnormal brain states alter brain neuronal structure, and determine the optimal conditions for brain networks.
The algorithm is also crafted in a highly advantageous way. It does not require substantial input data– meaning it can digitally reconstruct a brain using only a few reference cells. Additionally, the algorithm will not require adjustments since it can identify correlations.
Moreover, a research team led by Lida Kanari has already begun applying this algorithm to the study of rodents.
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