I visited the Francis Crick in Kings Cross today and had a wonderful time walking around their current exhibit called "Hello Brain". The cool thing about the Crick's exhibits is that they aren't "Art Exhibits" per se, rather, they are "Science Communication" projects. This doesn't mean that they aren't visually appealing, they most certainly are, but every visual is information-dense. (Not unlike a painting, in my opinion).
The content of the exhibit was both explanations of fundamental neuroscience concepts (like neuron anatomy and the history of the field) and little blurbs about the cutting-edge research going on at the Crick. There was also a rather fun section with 3d printed models brains of different animals. I especially loved how the exhibit paid its due diligence to research in animal brains and how it didn't place the "human brain" over other brains. Kudos to whoever pushed this less anthropocentric view.
Now, my favorite parts, in pictures:
Neurons woven by the community! All connected and hung in between these organza-type fabric pieces that simulated the corrugated brain and its layers... All I could ever wish for. Neuroscience + community engagement + installation artwork. This is why I love the Crick so much. Someone please get me a job here.
Pink neurons were knit by Neural Knitworks textile artists.
Orange neurons (middle and previous image) were made by the community during workshops hosted by the Crick.
The neuron on the left is a chandelier neuron, an interneuron that is vital for connecting cortical and deep brain structures and regulating signaling (they're GABAergic). As mentioned in the caption, "The connections between these neurons and others are one of the types that change the most during our teenager years". Furthermore, abnormalities in these neurons have been linked to epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism, fueling a wave of research into the power of these well-connected yet enigmatic cells.
The neuron on the right is a medium spiny neuron, and each little bead represents a "dendritic spine", or a point of connection with another neuron. These are also interneurons and they densely populate the striatum. As the caption goes, "These spiky neurons make up most of the striatum - an area deep in the centre of the human brain that supports learning and decision-making, and helps control movement". These neurons and their pathways are highly involved in our dopamine systems, and unbalanced or abnormal medium spiny neurons are related to addiction disorders and Parkinson's.
Left: Model of a Purkinje Neuron based on image by Boris Barbour, Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Superieure
Right: Image of "Human midbrain organoid Painted flourescent green" from the Neurodegeneration Biology Lab
Purkinje Neurons are known for their "dendritic trees", in other words, all their little branches that are used to receive and integrate information from many other neurons. They always make me think of fractals, and how nature repeats its organic structures on micro and macro levels. Neuron branches into tree branches into river systems. No wonder Santiago Ramon y Cajal loved illustrating these neurons so much.
This image of an organoid comes from Sonia Gandhi's team in the Neurodegeneration Biology Lab. A little blurb about their research: "Gandhi's team use cutting-edge technologies to map the brain cell by cell and identify the cells affected by brain disorders like Parkinson's Disease (PD). They then take skin cells from people with PD and transform the cells into the type of neuron affected by PD. By looking at these cells in high resolution, they're starting to spot the earliest events that lead to the development of PD."
Recently, they've been making "mini brains" aka organoids, to study how neurons and astrocytes (helper cells in the brain) interact with each other. These mini brains are made by using stem cells from people with PD, hopefully shedding light on how the neurodegenerative disease affects communication and regulation of signals in the brain.
3d model of a goldfish brain and the info below it!
If you've know me or my work for a while, you know I painted goldfish as a motif and symbol for memory loss and neurodegeneration. However, if you follow my instagram (@nataliamesart) you also know that I researched Goldfish Memory when I adopted the motif and wrote about how they can remember things for months. So this is an ode to the common myth of "goldfish memory", and it is also a little appreciation for how beautiful their little brains are.
I thoroughly enjoy reading everything and engaging with the exhibit, the information provided was accessible to every audience and the images were enticing, proving neuroimaging can be distilled and made both beautiful and comprehensible.
I'm tempted to look into each of the research labs mentioned and read more about their work, perhaps even make some art and blog posts about it. Stay tuned for more...
Comments