CHENNAI: The IIT Madras (IIT-M) Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) has launched a mission to create three-dimensional (3-D) maps of more than 100 human brains at cellular resolution, covering different stages of life from the foetal stage to old age as well as brains affected by disease.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the mission and dedicated the centre to the nation during his visit to IIT-M on Sunday. He also released C-STROKE, described by varsity as the world’s first 3-D atlas of a human ischaemic stroke brain.
The initiative aims to create the largest collection of 3-D maps of whole human brains at cellular resolution, which will would made accessible to researchers and medical professionals worldwide through a digital platform, enabling detailed investigations into brain structure and changes associated with disease, according to a statement issued by IIT-M.
The centre uses advanced imaging technology and computing infrastructure to convert whole postmortem human brains into digital 3-D maps at cellular resolution.
The initiative involves more than 200 researchers, engineers and technicians at SGBC, over 10 medical institutions across India and more than 30 researchers from over 10 countries. C-STROKE links magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans taken before death with microscopic examination of brain tissue after death.