Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have recently unveiled a new technology that might finally shed light into the inner workings of the brain.
During the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science last February 13, Dr. Thomas Hartung and his team confirmed their development of mini-brains that can be used in determining the effects of drug addiction and other neurological disorders.
There are several laboratories around the world are in the process of developing smaller brains for research. What sets Dr. Hartung's specimens is that they are significantly more minute than its counterparts. The team's brain only clocks in a t .35 millimeter however it is easier and takes to reproduce.
Dr. Hartung was quick to explain that their specimen is not yet ready to replace animal testing. He however is hopeful that with more research on their innovation, testing on rats and other lab animals would become obsolete.
"No one should have the excuse to still use animal models, which come with tremendous disadvantages for brain studies in particular. While rodent models have been useful, we are not 150-lb. rats. And even though we are not balls of cells, either, you can often get much better information from these balls of cells than from rodents" quipped Hartung.
