Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

First Thoughts
27 December 2015

First Thoughts

Working out how our complex brains first developed is a real head-scratcher. Here researchers used a biological model – a simplified version of early processes in the brain that can be studied in the lab as they happen. They first prepared microscopic scaffolding out of silk (shown in white) that has a porous structure similar to the brain's white matter. Flooded with a supportive material called collagen, the silky scaffold provides a microenvironment for neurons (artificially stained green) to grow, cluster and connect together, much as they do in the nooks and crannies of the developing brain. This example of tissue engineering allows early developmental decisions to be watched, timed and compared: scientific measurements that are otherwise impossible or unethical to make in embryonic brains.

Written by John Ankers

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.