New technique to see neurons of the deep brain for months at a time developed at Stanford

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/01/17/new_technique_to_see_neurons_of_the_deep_brain_for_months_at_a_time_developed_at_stanford.html

Summary – This article is about how researchers at Stanford University have discovered a way to view deep into the brain over a long period of time. This was impossible before since normal light microscopes could only see a little way into the brain before the picture went black. The Stanford scientists instead inserted a glass tube into the brains of mice, and when they want to look into the brain, they can. This allows them to see what goes on in the same area of brain over time, without damaging the tissue. They hope to continue their research on brain diseases and the formation of memories, while also teaching other researchers the same technique.

Opinion – I think this article was pretty interesting. I have recently become interested in neuroscience and about how the brain retains memories and understands languages. This article is interesting because the scientists have found a way to observe what goes on deep in the brain, and it could lead to some interesting breakthroughs. The only thing I was worried about was that they bred mice just so that they could give them a human disease, and I think that is cruel since the mice might be in pain. That is my opinion on the article.