2020 Online Salon
Visualizing neurons
Project Details
- Entrant Name: Valerie Altounian
- Membership Type: Professional Submission
- Other Contributors: Valerie Altounian, A. Motta et al.
- Address: AUSTIN, Texas USA
- Client: Science
- Copyright: 2019 AAAS
- Medium/software used: Cinema 4D, Photoshop
- Final presentation format: Journal cover, print and digital
- Primary Audience: Scientists
Project Description
This is a three dimensional connectomic reconstruction from layer 4 of the mouse somatosensory cortex. My goal was to illustrate how far we have advanced in being able to visualize neurons. In the late 19th century, Spanish neuroscientist Ramón y Cajal recorded his observations in the form of ink drawings which are marveled at to this day. From being capable of seeing and recording only a few cells in a region, we can now utilize 3D electron microscopy and AI-based image analysis to reconstruct all of them. To contextualize this present work, I have shown a few sparse cells in Cajal-style ink transitioning into the densely packed block of neurons that the authors of this paper were able to visualize. The new work is rendered in an archetypal 3D style to exaggerate the contrast in visualization methods.
