Brain Folding (IMAGE)

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Brain Folding

Caption

The team made a three-dimensional, gel model of a smooth fetal brain based on MRI images. The model's surface was coated with a thin layer of elastomer gel, as an analog of the cortex. To mimic cortical expansion, the gel brain was immersed in a solvent that is absorbed by the outer layer causing it to swell relative to the deeper regions. Within minutes of being immersed in liquid solvent, the resulting compression led to the formation of folds similar in size and shape to real brains.

Credit

Mahadevan Lab/Harvard SEAS

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