Collaborative Research: Accessing Comparative Brain Collections

合作研究：访问比较性大脑收藏

• 批准号: 9528326
• 负责人: John Johnson
• 金额: $ 5.45万
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-09-01 至 1998-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9528326&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Accessing; Comparative; Brain

This collaborative project integrates and makes more accessible for research two major collections of comparative vertebrate brain material. These collections, at the University of Wisconsin and at Michigan State University, contain over 275 sectioned and stained brains representing more than 150 species, from 50 taxonomic families from 17 different orders of mammals, selected for their research and evolutionary significance. These brain libraries, containing more than half a million sections mounted on microscope slides, are unique and priceless, involving a preparation investment of millions of dollars over decades. They are the largest collection of their kind in the world prepared by standardized techniques, and contain samples from many rare and now endangered species that could never be duplicated. This project will enhance the accessibility of these samples for neuroscience research and education. New optical and electronic techniques are used to produce a catalog of the collections to publicize and promote the availability of this material for study. Production of this catalog, and subsequent transfer of the two collections together to the Washington DC area to join other major collections of human brain specimens, will be first steps toward integrating a major neuroscience resource in a single site, with adequate research facilities. Further plans include electronic dissemination of the catalog internationally, to allow some study of the general appearance and overall organization of a variety of brains, and decisions about whether to visit the collections themselves for more detailed direct study. The preservation, stabilization and centralization of these valuable specimen will have a major long-term impact beyond simply comparative neuroscience, and will provide a unique contribution by NSF to the Decade of the Brain.

这个合作项目整合了两个主要的比较脊椎动物大脑材料的集合，并使其更容易用于研究。 这些标本来自威斯康星州大学和密歇根州立大学，包含了超过275个切片和染色的大脑，代表了150多个物种，来自17个不同哺乳动物目的50个分类科，因其研究和进化意义而被选中。 这些大脑图书馆包含50多万个安装在显微镜载玻片上的切片，是独一无二的，无价的，涉及数十年来数百万美元的准备投资。 它们是世界上通过标准化技术制备的同类标本中最大的一批，包含了许多稀有和濒危物种的标本，这些标本永远无法复制。 该项目将提高这些样本在神经科学研究和教育中的可及性。 新的光学和电子技术用于制作收藏品目录，以宣传和促进这种材料的可供研究。 这个目录的制作，以及随后将两个收藏品一起转移到华盛顿地区，加入其他主要的人脑标本收藏，将是将主要的神经科学资源整合到一个拥有足够研究设施的单一地点的第一步。 进一步的计划包括在国际上以电子方式传播目录，以允许对各种大脑的一般外观和整体组织进行一些研究，并决定是否亲自访问收藏品以进行更详细的直接研究。 这些宝贵标本的保存、稳定和集中将产生重大的长期影响，而不仅仅是比较神经科学，并将为NSF的大脑十年做出独特的贡献。