AsianScientist (Feb. 4, 2020) – The brain is arguably one of the most complex organs of the body. Now, scientists from Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are collaborating to produce a first-of-its-kind ultra-high-resolution 3D comprehensive map of the human brain’s neural network.

Using synchrotrons—extremely powerful X-ray sources—scientists aim to trace the brain’s intricate networks. The project will link the synchrotron facilities in the Asia Pacific region under a collaboration called Synchrotron for Neuroscience—Asia Pacific Strategic Enterprise (SYNAPSE), and is expected to involve more than 1,000 researchers.

Each participating facility will work on a portion of the same brain. SYNAPSE partners will image the brain network on a scale of 0.3 micrometers, with an image being taken at the speed of 1 mm3 per minute. The overall data acquisition and processing speed is more than 10 times faster than any other current method such as super-resolution microscopy or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, said NUS Associate Professor Low Chian Ming, who is a co-founding member of this international consortium and leads the team from Singapore.

He estimates that it will take the SYNAPSE collaboration about four years to map a human brain; other methods would take as long as the lifespan of an average person.

SYNAPSE will complement the structural map constructed from X-ray imaging with subcellular and molecular information from other advanced imaging techniques such as infrared spectromicroscopy, super-resolution visible-light three-dimensional microscopy and cryo-electron tomography. This coordinated approach will provide ultra-small structural details of the entire brain, analogous to the detailed features of Google Earth images. By contrast, other current maps of the human brain only capture certain specific areas.

SYNAPSE will enhance the understanding of the structure of the brain and the composition of its various structures, clarifying the normal functions and helping to identify the causes of brain diseases.

As mapping a human brain will generate a huge amount of data, a high performance computing network will be developed to rapidly process, store, mobilize, access and analyze such data. Singapore’s petascale supercomputing resources at the National Supercomputing Centre will serve as the data hub of SYNAPSE, linking all the SYNAPSE partners via its high-speed international network connections.

“Globally, brain mapping has gained impetus due to the growing impact of brain diseases. What we are setting out to do is a world-first enterprise. The images captured with unprecedented speed, clarity and granularity by SYNAPSE will form an extensive human brain map,” said Low. “The map will show how neurons are connected and how they interact to result in cognition and intelligence. Our findings could potentially contribute to effective treatment for increasingly important neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia,” he added.

An International Advisory Board including experts from neuropathology, electrophysiology, cell biological approaches and imaging has also been established to support SYNAPSE and assure its scientific excellence.



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Source: National University of Singapore; Photo: Shutterstock.

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