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Building a Brain with Blue Gene Technology

July 3, 2006
by Mary Hobson
mary.hobson@technology-schools.com
Technology Schools Columnist

For years technology developers have speculated about how to go about emulating the functions of the brain to better understand how the brain stores and uses memory. Finally, someone has taken the lead. Last year a new project--the Blue Brain Project--was started with cooperation between several partners including IBM and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Brains and Bioinformatics

For some years EPFL has been examining the way that the brain creates and uses circuitry using "wet lab" techniques--very thin slices of the brain are examined and researched. EPFL and IBM can now create a "working" model of this circuitry because of a supercomputer, the eServer Blue Gene.

The EPFL needed a supercomputer with enough capacity and speed to allow a reasonable simulation. A cluster of computers allowed for very slow processing of small groups of neurons; 1,000 neurons took weeks to simulate. Now, the Blue Gene supercomputer tests groups of 25,000 simple neurons in 60 seconds and records the data. This process is a perfect example of a bioinformatics database, an area that is increasingly seen as the way forward to understanding the complex systems in biology.

Building the Brain

Because the circuitry of the brain is so vast and complex, the project's first step is to create model circuitry of the neocortex (the largest and most complex part of the brain). This will take two to three years. The model will map 10,000 neurons of a rat's brain--similar to, but smaller than, the human brain.

These neurons are arranged in neocortical columns that run through many parts of the brain and perform advanced, computing-type functions. They are approximately .5mm in diameter, and are arranged in a honeycomb structure in columns of between 2mm and 5mm in length.

Learning Biology through Technology

Once the first model is built, it can be modified for the different species' neocortical columns and used to find and repair circuit errors. This is particularly useful as many brain disorders originate in the neocortex, and finding repair mechanisms holds out hope for cures of many different brain diseases, including depression, autism, and schizophrenia.

Of course, the project does not intend to stop at modeling the neocortex. Once the first model is satisfactorily completed, Blue Gene will be used to develop models of other parts of the brain, such as the hippocampus and cerebellum.

Everyday Bioinformatics

The real-time data processing used in the Blue Brain Project has many different applications in biology, science, technology, and broadcasting. Bioinformatics databases have real trickle down advantages to everyday computing. The emulation of the neuron may well translate into development of intelligent devices and using information systems more effectively.

Education in science and technology allows you to be a part of cutting-edge bioinformatics development. You can be a part of this new wave with a biotechnology career or as an information technician. Take a look at the courses and online programs that are available. The key to an exciting career in bioinformatics is education.

Sources
Blue Brain Project
IBM Domino Research

About the Author
Mary Hobson is the Head of IT School at a Polytechnic in New Zealand. She has worked as a consultant for technology start-ups in Russia and has studied computer science at a master's degree level.