Significant advances in determining the molecular regulation of nerve cell function and development will have a major impact on our understanding of more complex areas such as behaviour, cognition, ageing, neurological disease and mental illness.
The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) based at the University of Queensland is discovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms which underlie the ability of the adult brain to generate new nerve cells and form new functional connections.
These discoveries will provide, for the first time, a real opportunity to develop new therapeutics to treat mental and neurological diseases, which account for a staggering 45 per cent of the burden of disease in Australia.
For one neuroscientist Dr Nyoman Kurniawan, high-speed digital data exchange is crucial to building one of the world’s most detailed maps of the mouse brain.
According to Dr Kurniawan, the spectacular images generated by his state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging spectrometer at the University of Queensland will be incorporated into a unique mouse brain atlas, destined for use by scientists around the world.
According to Dr Kurniawan, the first stage of this eagerly anticipated project will be completed in about twelve months -
“Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technique which scientists use to visualise and study the structure and function of living organisms in vivo” he says.
The 2.5 metre white behemoth that dominates the corner of his laboratory (the 700) is a 16.4T High-Field Micro Magnetic Resonance Imaging Instrument. Under Dr Kurniawan’s watchful eye, the 700 generates high-resolution images of research animals, resulting in data sets of about 2 GB each.
The mouse has long remained the animal model of choice for neuroscientists. AARNet enables Australian neuroscientists to explore the inner workings of the mouse brain with high-resolution MRI, sharing their research and fostering the exchange of ideas and collaborating across the world in neuroscience.
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