Projections from CA1 to Entorhinal Cortex

Screenshot from 2014-10-27 13:35:00I am currently modeling the projections from CA1 and Subiculum to Entorhinal Cortex using PAM. In the 3D-model, it is not so obvious how they should look like. The best, I could find is the collection of tracer studies that is available at the Allen Brain Atlas. For over 1000 injection sites you can analyse where in 3d-space the projections of the neurons are. In the example above you see, how CA1 neurons (green dot) project to the Entorhinal cortex (red cross). The green trace connecting the dot with the cross is almost invisible.

How to print 54 rat hippocampus models in one week?

DSC_0253

Recently, we had the Memory and Mind workshop of the European Cluster of Excellence in our lab. On short notice, the organizers of this workshop approached me to ask whether I could organize 54 3d-printed models of the rat hippocampus for the participants. The models need to be printed within the next 7 days in order to give them to the participants.

It turned out, that most 3d printing services (and we needed one with selective laser sintering) simply cannot deliver within such a short time. Fortunately, I found trinckle, a startup in Berlin, who managed to produce and deliver 54 models of the rat hippocampus right on time to hand them out to the participants of the workshop at the last day. They now published a nice posting about the hippocampus and the 3d-model (in German).  Thank you!