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Every Branch of every Brain Neuron exposed!

1/27/16     It took six years and 21 Harvard researchers to complete the model, but now they have the most detailed brain reconstruction to date. Even though it only represents a several billionths of a mouse brain! Even though the 3D model only represents a tiny fraction of the brain, it shows every branch of every neuron!

In a published article in Cell, researchers fed a micro sized piece of brain through a machine that sliced it very thinly. That machine then stuck the slices to a plastic tape to create a sort of film reel. A scanning electron microscope captured each frame digitally so researchers could use computers to trace what they saw. Then, focusing on an invisibly small, more manageable portion of their sample, they accounted for every cellular detail of each frame.

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The resulting map includes every branch of every neuron, their mitochondria and supporting cells. The scientists created a spreadsheet giving locations of the 1,700 synapses (connections between neurons) plus which neurons they joined, and other data. A surprise emerged in how neurons’ branched arms connect with each other: Instead of synapsing with their conveniently close neighbors, as previously thought, two branches may seek each other out repeatedly amid the thicket of other cells. These deliberately reinforced connections might represent learning. The next step will be to learn more about the brain’s wiring by mapping an entire cubic millimeter of a brain slice!

Accelerated Skin Regeneration Using Micro Technology

1/13/16     Some skin wounds too large and difficult to treat, like burn wounds. Traditional treatment of a large burn wound often involve hydrogels (water-based dressings). They keep the wound hydrated and act as a barrier to infection, but they don’t provide the physical support for new skin. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have developed a synthetic biomaterial that fills wounds and aids in regeneration of skin cells, which ultimately improves wound healing. It is a reformulated hydrogel that incorporates microporous annealed particles that adhere to each other creating a strong scaffold that allows new cells to colonize and begin making new skin.

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The idea of a porous scaffold is not new, but the issue that was had was the scaffold could not take the shape of the wound leaving areas unprotected. This new technology overcomes this issue by binding blocks to each other creating an interconnected porous network. As an added bonus, this new hydrogel can be tuned to an individual’s wound, providing tailored degradation of the scaffold as new skin is formed.

In lab tests porous scaffolds with extensive cell networks formed within two days and promoted skin growth over the course of one week. This micro technology could be very beneficial for the millions of people who have wounds that won’t heal. It could make a major improvement in the burn and diabetic fields.

2015 Micro Blog in Review

1/6/16     With 2015 in the rearview mirror we wanted to review the most popular blogs we wrote over the past year. They are full of useful information that deserve repeating! Please click on any of the below blog titles to see the blog: