Description of the Project-2
This project is about neuronal connections and how they are
setting up connections between neurons within small time intervals. We are
going to predict neuronal connections from calcium imaging data by this
project. First we should understand basics of neurons and neural networks. Then
we are trying to predict the connections between neurons. To do that, we are
using calcium imaging datasets. Then we can make an algorithm that can predict
the neuronal connections. Later we are going to test that algorithm by given
datasets.
More than millions of neurons are in our
brain. The neuron is the basic working unit of the brain. It is a specialized
cell designed to transmit information to other nerve cells such as muscle, or
gland cells. Nervous system consists of millions of neurons. They transmit
information to other nerve cells. Most neurons have a cell body, an axon,
and dendrites. When neurons receive or send messages, they transmit electrical
impulses along their axons. Adult human brain has about a trillion neurons. So
it is not an easy task to find the connectivity among them. We will have to use
special methods to map the connectivity
Connectomics is the
production and study of comprehensive maps of connections within an organism's
nervous
system. It is hard to trace them out physically even with powerful
microscopes. Florescent calcium ions can be used to observe the firing of
neurons. So we can predict the connections between neurons using calcium
fluorescence data. Using those data we are going to create algorithm to predict
the map of connections between neurons.
Those results can be summarized to a algorithm that can predict
the neuronal connections. It will not be easy, but using the powerful computers
and those well measured data sets it will be achievable. After creating the
algorithm we can check it by using calcium imaging datasets. First we can test
the algorithm for small networks. Then we can test it with real world amounts
of neurons like billions.
