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The BROUGHT TO YOUBRAIN BY UQ'S QUEENSLAND BRAIN INSTITUTE Issue Five THE NATURE OF DISCOVERY HOW A JELLYFISH lights up THE BIG the brain QUESTIONS in neuroscience CONTROLLING THE BRAIN with light What we learn from animal brains SPECIAL REPORT: The BROUGHT TO YOUBRAIN BY UQ'S QUEENSLAND BRAIN INSTITUTE Issue Five THE NATURE OF DISCOVERY THE NATURE OF DISCOVERY HOW A JELLYFISH lights up THE BIG the brain QUESTIONS in neuroscience DOWNLOAD, READ AND SHARE qbi.uq.edu.au/nature-discovery CONTROLLING THE BRAIN with light What we learn from animal brains Publisher Professor Pankaj Sah Editor Carolyn Barry The BROUGHT TO YOUBRAIN BY UQ'S QUEENSLAND BRAIN INSTITUTE Writers Carolyn Barry Issue Five Dr Fiona McMillan Dr Alan Woodruff THE NATURE OF DISCOVERY Scientific advisers Associate Professor Tim Bredy HOW A Professor Massimo Hilliard JELLYFISH Dr Dhanisha Jhaveri lights up THE BIG Professor Justin Marshall the brain QUESTIONS Professor Fred Meunier in neuroscience Associate Professor Ethan Scott Emeritus Professor Srini Srinivasan Professor Stephen Williams Dr Steven Zuryn Designer Katharine McKinnon The Queensland Brain Institute is located at CONTROLLING The University of Queensland, THE BRAIN St Lucia, QLD, 4072 with light [email protected] What we learn from animal brains The Brain Series: The Nature of Discovery was produced by the Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, April 2020 FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM facebook.com/ twitter.com/ instagram.com/ QldBrainInstitute QldBrainInst QldBrainInstitute CONTENTS A MESSAGE FROM CHAPTER 1 PROFESSOR PANKAJ SAH WHY STUDY THE BRAIN? DIRECTOR, QUEENSLAND BRAIN INSTITUTE 02 Why study the brain? 03 Brain basics ur brains are incredible. 04 Key leaps inspired by nature They allow us to interpret our 06 The state of neuroscience Osensory world, understand and create language, control movements, CHAPTER 2 plan for the future, and so much more. They are complex machines that make ANIMAL INSPIRATION us who we are. 08 Flight: learning from nature Each human brain contains around 100 billion neurons with a Animal sleep 09 trillion possible connections, and 10 Animal vision an even larger number of other support cells. Together, these cells CHAPTER 3 and their connections interpret and move information across the brain LIGHTING UP THE BRAIN according to a logic that, until recently, 12 How the jellyfish was unfathomable. Now, decades revolutionised science of research and some incredible discoveries have given us a deeper 13 Lighting up the tiniest parts understanding of the brain. How did of the brain these discoveries come about, and what lessons do they hold for the CHAPTER 4 future of brain research? HAMILTON PATRICK One important ingredient has CONTROLLING THE BRAIN been scientists’ desire to understand new therapy—simply wanted to 14 Controlling the brain the basic workings of the many understand ‘how things work’. Later, with light diverse organisms that make up the others used their own creativity to natural world. First, as a product of adapt these discoveries to brain 15 The whole brain evolution, the basic molecular and research, with some amazing and 16 Harnessing viruses cellular workings of the brain have often unanticipated findings. 16 The humble roundworm synergies with brains of smaller and This is discovery science, and it has simpler organisms that we can study already given us incredible advances 17 Bacteria unlock the key to in detail. By understanding them in neuroscience and beyond. A study editing the brain's DNA we understand ourselves. Second, of new medicines approved by the evolution has led to organisms that USA’s Food and Drug Administration CHAPTER 5 thrive in diverse environments: (FDA) found that every single one jellyfish that glow, perhaps as a of the 210 new medicines approved FUTURE LEAPS IN protection against predators; algae from 2010-2016 was developed from BRAIN SCIENCE that sense light, controlling their discoveries in fundamental science. 18 Big questions in brain science movement to help in photosynthesis; The benefits of discovery science are 19 Adapting on the go or bacteria that protect themselves broader than new disease treatments. against viruses by quickly slicing up Discovery science will also provide 20 How your brain makes and the invader’s DNA. Scientists are using insights into new architectures for uses energy these developments from nature as information processing and storage, 21 Can we regrow our brains? tools to study the brain. and deliver breakthroughs we can’t 22 Amazing animal abilities As you’ll find throughout this even dream of right now. In this magazine, these and many other magazine, we celebrate scientific natural innovations have had an innovations inspired by nature. CHAPTER 6 enormous impact on what we know Brains are such complex machines— IMPORTANT ISSUES IN SCIENCE about the brain, and all of them curiosity-driven research into their have one thing in common: how inner workings is sure to lead to new Ethical considerations 23 they were discovered. In each case, knowledge in health, technology and 24 Investing in science researchers—driven by curiosity other fields that don’t yet exist. rather than pressure to develop a I hope you enjoy our latest issue. QBI.UQ.EDU.AU/NATURE-DISCOVERY The BRAIN series 1 CHAPTER 1 WHY STUDY THE BRAIN? he brain is the complex and mysterious core of who we are: Tit determines our personalities and preferences—why we prefer chocolate over vanilla, or ballet over football—and how we think, act, move and remember. There is no question we have made some major advancements, particularly in the last 40 years. But when it comes to understanding how the brain processes information and produces outcomes, there is much still to learn and many exciting discoveries to come. Definitive answers to so many questions remain: Why do we sleep and dream? Why does dementia only affect certain people as they age? How do our brains store some memories, but discard others? What are the critical elements that affect the brain in the earliest stages of life, and can brain diseases and disorders be delayed or treated? How can we repair injured brains and nerves? What we hope to achieve by unravelling the brain’s secrets can be broadly broken down into three areas: and making new ones. Understanding to reveal how the brain processes how these unique connections are information, and understanding To understand what it is forged and modified will help us truly how each connection fits into larger 1to be human comprehend the link between the networks across the brain. physical brain, our behaviour, and You are your brain. Your brain is the what makes us individuals. To understand and treat very essence of your personality, 3brain diseases and disorders individuality and abilities. Unravelling To understand and how the brain works will help us 2enhance healthy brains Dealing with the tide of neurological understand the basis of human diseases and disorders is one of behaviour and actions. While each By exploring and mapping the the biggest challenges of our time. brain is unique, all healthy human inner workings of how a normal Neuroscience advances in the brains share the same basic structures brain functions and how it can 21st century will revolutionise health and functions. It’s the specific ways instantaneously create new thoughts, care just as the development in which our brain cells communicate learn new things and recall memories, of vaccines and antibiotics did in the that makes each of us different, we can harness that knowledge to past 200 years. To effectively treat and this is influenced by both our enhance brain function. This will brain diseases and disorders, including genetics and interactions with our require identifying and categorising dementia, schizophrenia, depression, environment. With experience, the thousands of types of brain motor neurone disease and many whether physical or emotional, our cells and their connections with one others, we need to understand how brain remodels itself, strengthening another, monitoring and recording the healthy brain functions and what and weakening existing connections their activity patterns in real time makes these processes go awry. The most exciting part is that by studying how the brain works, we open up numerous possibilities for treating the vast range of mental and neurological disorders prevalent in our community. WILLIAMS 2. STEPHEN 1.RODRIGO SUAREZ, ISTOCK; 2 The BRAIN series QUEENSLAND BRAIN INSTITUTE Brain basics 1.3-1.4 kg Adult brains weigh 100 billion ~1.3-1.4 kg There are around 20% The brain accounts 100 billion neurons for about 2% of the (brain cells) in the body's weight but average adult uses 20% of brain its energy The brain has trillions of More intelligent connections species have more between brain folds as this neurons increases the area for connections 100,000 Brain tissue the size of a grain of sand has about 100,000 Folds in the neurons human brain are called sulci (grooves) and 70% The brain uses about gyri (ridges) 70% of a human’s 22,000 genes, mostly to control connections between neurons as we learn and remember 1 What's a brain 2 A-Z disorder? 3 hen the brain is operating Wnormally, all of its parts – including cells, electrical activity 1 Neurons in the hippocampus of the and chemical messengers – work brain. 2 An astrocyte, which supports together to make our bodies and neurons. 3 A Purkinje neuron, which regulates muscle movement. minds function as they should. A brain disorder is anything that Types of brain cells disrupts any of these aspects of eurons are the basic building blocks diversity, it is important to have ways of normal brain function and affects Nof the brain and the nervous system. identifying and distinguishing between quality of life.