GD1022-18D4
the most accurate and largest reconstruction yet!
This piece represents a small stretch of dendrite receiving synaptic innervation by excitatory and inhibitory axons in the stratum oriens of the mouse brain. The position of each synaptic contact is shown using steel (inhibitory synapses) or steel and fabric (excitatory fabric). I’ve been studying the distribution of these synaptic contacts in the lab and wanted to develop a deeper intuitive sense of the spatial relationships that are at play. My goal is to share as much of that understanding by creating an immersive experience.
Polishing the GABAergic bouton
Excitatory axon under construction
Spines under construction
About the build
I start each project feeling a kinda of need to do it. A drive to see something real and to use my hands to make it. That feeling was so strong for this piece. It’s the biggest one I’ve done and it’s the first using plywood. Because I decided to use plywood this time I could really work to establish a proper scale to the piece. Essentially, I scaled everything to the thickness of the plywood sheets. In this case I used 0.438 inch sheets which corresponds to a tissue slice thickness of 45 nanometers. Expanding on scale and finding new materials to incorporate is super exciting for me and something I want to keep exploring.