{"57755":{"#nid":"57755","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scientists Alter Developing Brain to Resemble that of Another Species","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found that by applying chemicals to manipulate genes in a developing embryo, they\u0027ve been able to change the brain of one type of cichlid fish to resemble that of another.  The researchers also discovered differences in the general patterning of the brain very early in development before functional neurons form in a process known as neurogenesis. This finding is at odds with a well-held theory known as \u0022late equals large.\u0022 The research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition beginning May 3, 2010.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the mid 1990s, the hypothesis called \u0022late equals large\u0022 was put forth to explain the way brains evolve across species. The brain begins as a blank slate. In early development, the anterior, or front, part of the brain is specified from the posterior, or back, part. After that, neurogenesis occurs as precursor cells mature to become neurons. These precursors can replicate endlessly, but once they become functional neurons, replication ends. The later the switch from precursors to mature neurons, the larger the brain, or brain region, becomes. The \u0022late equals large\u0022 model holds that the brains of different species, for example humans vs. mice, are similar early in development and differ because of the later process of neurogenesis. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We found differences in the general patterning of the brain as early as 48 hours after fertilization, before neurogenesis begins,\u0022 said J. Todd Streelman, associate professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Biology. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/news\/story.php?id=4378\u0027\u003EFull Article\n\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0027http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/faculty\/todd-streelman\/lab.php\u0027\u003EStreelman Lab\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found that by applying chemicals to manipulate genes in a developing embryo, they\u0027ve been able to change the brain of one type of cichlid fish to resemble that of another.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists Alter Developing Brain to Resemble that of Another Sp"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2010-06-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:39","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-05-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"277","name":"Biology"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"248","name":"IBB"},{"id":"170988","name":"Scientists Alter Developing Brain to Resemble that of Another Species"},{"id":"2863","name":"Todd Streelman"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}