The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has just released amazing 3D pictures of the fetal brain! This project is led by a professor named Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam at the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre. The dataset, called ‘DHARANI,’ is open for all researchers around the world to use.
They took 5,132 brain sections using advanced Brain Mapping Technology created in the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre. This research is set to boost the field of Neuroscience and may help in treating brain-related health issues.
Researchers from different countries, including India, Australia, and the U.S., worked together on this project. They collaborated with medical organizations like Mediscan Systems and Saveetha Medical College Hospital based in Chennai.
“DHARANI” has now become the largest digital collection of human fetal brain images that is available to everyone. It was made with much less money than the famous Allen Brain Atlas, and it used unique technology developed in India during the COVID pandemic from 2020 to 2022.
Dr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel, the editor of a neuroscience journal, mentioned that India is now on the same level as the U.S. in mapping the human brain.
This project was supported by organizations like the government of India, Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, and healthcare companies. NVIDIA also helped process the huge amount of data.
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, expressed his happiness that India is leading the way in creating human fetal brain maps for the first time.
The high-resolution images are essential for improving fetal imaging techniques. This means we can diagnose and treat developmental disorders earlier.
Kris Gopalakrishnan stated that this achievement proves Indian research can make significant scientific and technological advancements. He hopes this will inspire more collaborative research projects in India.
This study is expected to lead to exciting new discoveries, help understand neurodevelopmental disorders, and improve fetal medicine. With this dataset, knowledge about the fetal brain has increased by 20 times!
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