Brain
Can you imagine a brain and its workings being replicated on a computer? That is what the Brain Simulation Platform (BSP) aims to do. The BSP is available to researchers worldwide so that they can compare their experimental results with model predictions and conduct investigations that are not possible experimentally.
The simulation also aims to replicate work on animal models, such as the mouse. In addition, the computing environment used for simulation offers the possibility of studying disease processes electronically.
However, the challenge is a complex one, as the human brain contains 86 billion brain cells (known as neurons) each with an average of 7,000 connections to other neurons (known as synapses). Current computer power is insufficient to model an entire human brain at this level of interconnectedness.
Why simulate the brain?
In many areas of science and engineering, simulation has proven an invaluable tool for turning mathematical principles, theory, and data into new insights.
Human Brain Project (HBP) seeks to bring the bring vital software tools to neuroscience to:
- reduce the need for animal experiments
- study diseases in unprecedented in-silico experiments
- improve the validation of data and experiments with computational validation
News
New Cytoarchitectonic maps in BigBrain
CAJAL course on whole brain imaging
The Live Papers of the Brain Simulation Platform
Probabilistic cytoarchitectonic maps for 32 new human brain areas released
Nine Projects from HBP enabled by FENIX consortium partner ETH
MRI and AI to develop a brain virtual biopsy tool
The scientific case for brain simulations