The Blue Brain Project
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1
Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Simulation-based research has become possible and has replaced experiments in several sciences when critical mass is reached in experimental data and computing power. In life science in general, and in neuroscience in particular, both data and computing requirements are however extreme. The Blue Brain Project is pioneering a strategy to build a facility that can absorb biological data and drive the computing needs that would support simulation-based research for brain research. The first challenge in the project was to database, reconstruct, simulate, visualize and analyze a neocortical column of a 2 week old somatosensory rat cortex at cellular level precision. The facility now allows the building of the neocortical column (and any detailed neural models) according to biological specifications and is designed to allow continual refinement of the biological accuracy. The process of building the model column has exposed fundamental principles of circuit design and operation that were not known before and the models can be used to replicate experiments and explore in silico far beyond the technological limitations imposed on experiments in order to make predictions for future experiments. The next phase of the project aims to allow biological refinement down to the molecular level and to expand the facility to allow whole-brain simulation-based research. The rapid increase in computational power and increased volume and quality of data representations of biological processes will allow progressively deeper exploration of the complexity of the brain and more detailed hypothesis testing. We conclude that simulation-based research is a viable new approach to understanding the structure, function and dysfunctions of the brain.
Conference:
Neuroinformatics 2008, Stockholm, Sweden, 7 Sep - 9 Sep, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Keynote
Citation:
Markram
H
(2008). The Blue Brain Project.
Front. Neuroinform.
Conference Abstract:
Neuroinformatics 2008.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.11.2008.01.143
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Received:
28 Jul 2008;
Published Online:
28 Jul 2008.
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Correspondence:
Henry Markram, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland, nemoABS01@frontiersin.org