Title: Emerging tools for imaging brain function at cellular resolution
Speaker: Dr. Tsai-Wen Chen(陳摘文老師)
Time: 2015/04/28 (Tuesday) 14:00-16:00
Venue: R101 Science Building 5, NCU (中央大學科學五館 101 教室)
Abstract:
Recent development in optical and molecular technologies is revolutionizing the way we probe the brain’s function. Fluorescent molecules have been engineered to translate electrical signals of neurons into optical signals. State-of-the-art optical microscopy can detect these signals from neurons located deep in the brain. Together, we now have tools to monitor the conversation between neurons in the living brain with unprecedented detail. I will introduce this powerful new technology and discuss its potential applications. In addition, I will discuss its current limitations and outline possible directions of future development. Finally, I will describe areas in cognitive science that may benefit from this new technique.