The instrument was developed by a team of doctors, physicists
and IT specialists led by Academy of Sciences President E.
Szilveszter Vizi. Researchers dye neurons and bathe them in laser
rays, which render the process of excitation and response – the
essence of brain cell operation – visible and capture the sequence
of events with the three-dimensional microscope. Thanks to the new
microscope, they are actually able to see brains in operation.
The microscope, reported in January’s European Journal of
Neuroscience, promises to trigger a paradigm shift in brain
research, Vizi told MTI. It is expected to play a key role in
studying the way drugs affect the brain and exactly how they do it,
which can lead to the development of new pharmaceuticals. In fact,
it may even become a tool in brain surgery, Vizi said.
