Researchers at Harvard University have discovered new colourful way of brain mapping. The ‘brainbow technique’ allow researchers to activate fluorescent proteins in neurons creating a ‘brainbow’ that will make mapping of the brain and the nervous system easier for neuroscientists.
The new technique, which had featured in the November 1 issue of the journal Nature, allows researchers to mark neurons with approximately 90 different types of colour shades, a vast improvement of the current technique of using only a handful of colours for fluorescent labeling.
The technique uses Cre/lox recombination system by shuffling genes capable of encoding green, orange, yellow and red fluorescent proteins. This transgene is then assembled from snippets of DNA and then inserted into neuronal DNA.
This technique will help scientists study how the brain wiring reacts to different diseases.
Source & image:cbc
