As the new year starts, remember, you actions have concequences. Here is a roundup of some hard working members of the design team… animal testers. (Here is my stance on it all..)
Chameleons play video games for science; helps researchers learn more about their eyesight. A simple game was used to track the eye movement of chameleons. (via Reuters)
Video games are no longer for so-called geeks and nerds. With so many different games out there you can even find your parents firing up the Wii. They're so popular that chameleons are getting in on the fun...sort of. Israeli researchers from the department of neurobiology at the University of Haifa made chameleons play a simple game that required them to track and lash out at multiple digital flies, which gauged their ability to focus on two objects at once. This led the researchers to discover the chameleon is capable of tracking two different objects at the same time. According to researcher Hadas Ketter-Katz each eye has its own role – one eye tracks the prey, while the other tracked its own target until it merged with the first eye to lock on the target. These results will not only help researchers better understand chameleon biology, the results may even help robots coordinate images from multiple cameras, which can improve their spatial perception and reflexes. And your parents thought video games were bad for you.
Virtual reality maze tricks mice; helps researchers understand Alzheimer's
These mice believe they're running through a maze when they're actually on a treadmill
The researchers at Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, VA must have been inspired by the University of Haifa's experiment since they conducted their own study with animals and video games. Instead of chameleons, the Janelia researchers stuck lab mice in a specially built virtual reality simulator, kind of like an Oculus Rift but without the headset. The simulator has walls that touch the mouse's whiskers on either side, making the rodent think it's moving through a maze. In reality it's just running on small treadmill. Why do this? The experiment is supposed to see how the mice navigate and how they form actual memories of pathways. In turn this information will be used to see how mammalian brains have adapted memories, which can be used to understand how certain diseases, like Alzheimer's, affect the brain. The simulator is also more cost effective and less time consuming than the traditional physical mazes.
Virtual reality not just for video games – helps scientists understand navigation
A mouse is actually running on a ball while it thinks it's in a maze (via MIT)
The Janelia scientists aren't the only ones working with a virtual reality maze for mice. Nicholas Sofroniew, who is actually working with researchers at the Janelia Campus in Virginia, built a maze that tricks mice into thinking they're running through hallways when they're actually running on a ball. It works by keeping the rodent's head still and study how the brain works while it's navigating. Unlike the prototypes, this maze doesn't require the mice to be trained. Since mice rely on their whiskers to feel their way through the world, researchers have learned how different neurons fire depending on the distance between the mouse's head and wall. This translates input into a form the mouse can use. The researchers are hoping to use this information to learn how the brain process information. They even believe it can help understand what happens to the brain with certain disorders, like autism. Since these mice are working overtime, hopefully they get an extra large helping of cheese.
New wireless, LED implant can fully stimulate nerves in mice
The implant delivers light and waves to stimulate the mouse's leg
Mice aren't done working yet. Stanford engineers have built a lightweight LED implant with the ability to receive consistent amounts of wireless energy. So why are they putting lights into mice brains? Neurons can be genetically altered with green algae genes to make them responsive to light. This new implant, which has a receiving coil, circuit, and LED, harvests RF energy to power the light which then stimulates the targeted brain region. Experimental tests proved to be successful. When the system was turned on, the mouse walked in circles and when it was shut off, the mouse stops walking showing how the concept works. This device is actually the first attempt at wireless optogenetics that is small enough to be place under the skin and may even have the ability to trigger a signal in muscles or some organs. As testing for the device continues, scientists are hoping it could shed some light on neurological conditions like Parkinson's or mental health issues.
Researchers use ultrasound to fight Alzheimer's plaque in mice
Plaque build up in an Alzheimer's patient (via UQ)
And before the mice can retire for the night they have to tackle Alzheimer's. The University of Queensland have a team of Australian researchers who sent ultrasound waves at the brains of mice with Alzheimer's. The waves stimulate a brain cell called microglia, which is like the brain's immune system. As a result, the ultrasound waves ended up breaking up clusters of amyloid beta plague, which blocks communication between cells, in 75 percent of the mice. In turn, they performed better on follow up memory and spatial recognition tests. When these waves were combined with an injection of microbubbles, it made a temporary opening in the blood-brain barrier that didn't affect brain function. Before performing trial runs on humans, the team wants to use the treatment on sheep with Alzheimer's. There's still a lot unknown about Alzheimer's, hopefully this new study is a step forward is curing the disease.
Don't forget that these members of the team are alive too.
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