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Keeping Track
09 September 2013

Keeping Track

Studying how neurons [brain cells] grow and develop can be tricky. Try to nurture them in the lab and they have a tendency to shoot out in unpredictable and haphazard ways; not very helpful if you want to observe the intricate details of their development process. Now researchers have come up with a new option: encourage the cells to grow along set guidelines. Here, neurons are maturing on a surface covered in tiny braille-like dots. Each dot can be covered with different substances that promote, or hinder, growth. As the neurons (stained green and red) spread, scientists can closely monitor how they respond to the different molecules on the dots, giving a very clear and specific indication of which molecules promote what behaviours. That could mean a simple way to see how new treatments for conditions such as autism and schizophrenia affect the misbehaving cells in our brain.

Written by Anthony Lewis

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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