Week 7: Neurosci + Art

What captured my eye this week was the Brainbow technique used by scientists to map out neurons in the brains of mice. At first glance, they appeared to be pieces of art drawn or created by artists. I was surprised to discover that the pictures were not creations of one’s imagination, but serve as a significant scientific advancement that allowed scientists to map out the connections and pathways of individual neurons using fluorescent proteins. Using the Brainbow technique in neuroscience gives scientists “an unprecedent vision of how the brain’s cells are connected to each other” (Yong). 

Neurons in the brains of mice mapped out using the Brainbow technique.

How the Brainbow technique works.

Pictures created using the Brainbow technique are already wonderful pieces of art, but there are artists who take it a step further and create original artworks that incorporate or pay tribute to the Brainbow technique. 

An example would be Greg Dunn, who created a framed piece of art depicting neurons in the brains of mice. Using a technique called microetching (etching onto a piece of metal in order to reflect light in a certain way), Greg Dunn maps out the cellular structure of the rodent hippocampus (Dunn). His art work is unique and pays tribute to the Brainbow technique. It is unique as it is not a replicate of something created using Brainbow, but it is simply a piece of metal with engravings that can transform into a Brainbow-like creation when different colored lights shine on the art work from different directions. Dunn explains that since the Brainbow technique allocates colors randomly to neurons and that the same neuron can be colored differently in different mice, the art work can be seen as the sum of what the hippocampuses of a hundred different mice would look like (Dunn). 

Greg Dunn’s artwork that pays tribute to the Brainbow technique.

This reminds me of the topic of Two Cultures we touched on in week 1. Creators such as Greg Dunn are not only artists, but are also scientists because in creating their art works, they have to understand how it came about and what they are depicting. The product, something representing scientific advancement and also the artist’s individual beliefs, is truly a blend of Two Cultures.

References 

Yong, Ed. “‘Brainbow’ paints individual neurons with different colours.” National Geographic, 1 Oct. 2009, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/brainbow-paints-individual-neurons-with-different-colours. 

Dunn, Greg. “Brainbow Hippocampus.” Greg Dunn Neuro Art,  www.gregadunn.com/microetchings/brainbow-hippocampus/. Accessed 11 May 2021. 

Le Cunuff, Anne-Laure. “Somewhere over the brainbow: a beautiful neuroimaging technique.” Ness Labs, nesslabs.com/brainbow. Accessed on 11 May 2021. 

Taylor, Ashley. “The Art of the Brain: “Brainbow” and the difficulty of distinguishing Science and Art.” SciArt Initiative, Oct. 2013, www.sciartmagazine.com/on-topic-the-art-of-the-brain.html. 

Frazetto, Giovanni and Suzanne Anker. “Neuroculture.” Perspectives, vol. 10, Nov. 2009, pp. 815-821, doi.org/10.1038/nrn2736.

<Images and Videos> 

“Brainbow Hippocampus.” YouTube, uploaded by Will Drinker, 22 Mar. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZCZV5-v3S4. 

Kurtz, Lawson. “Building Brainbow.” Ness Labs, nesslabs.com/brainbow. Accessed on 11 May 2021. 

Litchman, Jeff. Picture of neurons created using the Brainbow technique. Harvard Brain Tour, braintour.harvard.edu/archives/portfolio-items/brainbow. Accessed 11 May 2021.