Designed for science teachers, this episode of Professional Knowledge looks at neuroscience and cuttting edge brain imaging technologies.
New imaging technologies can now determine pathways of axons and neurons in the brain.
Previously MRI scanners could only detect the byproducts of brain activity, such as metabolism.
Trips to UCLA, Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital, reveal how the technologies are being used in practice.
Harvard neuroscientist, Jeff Lichtman, explains the "Brainbow" transgenic mice experiment.
By injecting three different colours of fluorescent genes he produced mice whose brain circuitry has over 80 different hues, making historic breakthroughs in neural pathway identification.
He also presents the animated electron micro-photography which can produce highly detailed images of a rat's brain.
