Comprehensive neuroanatomy by using non-staining imaging and informatics

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12143
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Life / Health / Medical informatics
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Kotaro Oka 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部(矢上), 教授 (10276412)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 生体生命情報学 / 生物物理 / 神経科学 / 細胞・組織 / 可視化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have developed a new method to classify brain regions rationally. We obtain Raman spectral information for each pixel on the brain slices of songbirds. Using this spectral information, regions with similar spectra were extracted and mapped. As a result, myelin wrapped nerve fibers and several neurons with neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine and glutamate) could be detected without staining. As a method to rationally determine the brain region boundary, we attempted Voronoi division using nuclear position. As a result, we succeeded to divide the entire coronal section of the bird's brain into Voronoi units. By using this division method together with unstained imaging, it is possible to construct a brain draft map at high speed.

Free Research Field

システム生物学・神経科学