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Abstract

Grant Number:	1R01NS046068-01
Project Title:	CRCNS: ASSEMBLING VISIBLE NEURONS FOR SIMULATION

PI Information:	Name	Email	Title
	ELLISMAN, MARK H.	mark@ncmir.ucsd.edu	PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal outlines specific enhancements to the process of very large-field 3D laser-scanning light microscopy and electron tomography to increase the throughput of generating structural data to be assembled into multi-resolution "visible" cells for computational neuroscience. For each processing stream, this proposal identifies data, computation time, and labor intensive tasks, and it outlines solutions enhanced by grid resources for increasing end-to-end performance, accelerating computation, enhancing visualization, and archiving and managing data. To foster modeling studies, this project also outlines the development of software solutions for improving the accuracy and continuity of rendered surfaces, aligning "serial" volumes, and isolating the areas containing specific densities or types of "effecter molecules" (post-synaptic densities, channels, proteins, etc.) and functional components derived from literature, light and/or EM studies. Each processing stream will be further integrated into a web-based application environment where users can securely and collaboratively perform each operation from data acquisition to database deposition, and provides an end-to-end solution for automatically scheduling instruments, performing the necessary data movements, coordinating and scheduling the data processing stages, acquiring specialized visualization resources, and managing and staging distributed data. The data produced by both imaging processes is of great value to researchers and students using simulation programs like MCell, Neuron, and GENESIS. The incorporation of realistic structure into the computational models increases the accuracy of the simulation output as well as the utility and validity of the results. Ultimately, the use of accurate derived "visible" neurons will create an unprecedented opportunity to probe the effects of structure in the behavior of the nervous system. Moreover, the technologies to richly integrate instruments, grid infrastructure and services, automated data management, and user-friendly web-based collaborative control will be broadly extensible to other scientific domains and will continue to enable and enrich opportunities for education and outreach.

Public Health Relevance:
This Public Health Relevance is not available.

Thesaurus Terms:
computational neuroscience, image processing, imaging /visualization /scanning, neuroimaging
computer program /software, data management, neuron, structural biology
bioimaging /biomedical imaging, computed axial tomography, electron microscopy, light microscopy

Institution:	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO
	9500 GILMAN DR, DEPT 0934
	LA JOLLA, CA 920930934
Fiscal Year:	2002
Department:	MEDICINE
Project Start:	30-SEP-2002
Project End:	31-AUG-2006
ICD:	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
IRG:	ZRG1

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