Some words about Neurogenesis

Neuroscientist Dr. Doping talks about memory mechanism and editing of memories

About the reasons for the backlog of western science

We do not have time for western technological shifts, we do not have time to just buy them. Making good on a new financing in Russia is almost impossible, it takes years and years. Just beyond any device that can be used right now jump forward in the study - we can not even order, because we have no publications on this topic, we apply for a grant - they say, "And nothing has been done." And refuse the money. In the West, the situation is different. It provides that for the new, radically new, are large sums.

And we actually do not have such a system. For basic science it is not. Everybody wants some application, to develop technology based on fundamental knowledge already received. But they also need to get. To do this, a fundamentally new equipment, which appears only in the West, and everything is moving on it. Our article is not that we do not accept, but with very great reluctance and not in the best journals. As long as we are able in some areas, in particular related to memory, to hold for a year or two behind, a slight delay, and in some areas, I know, already lagging behind for decades.

The mechanism of memory

We learn something, remember not only for weeks, but for years and decades. We remember that it was 10-20 years ago. With using what? Must be some kind of material carrier, and the carrier material in the brain - a protein. A protein molecule is formed, but after two or three days, it is metabolized, is replaced by a similar but new. And communication line up again on some pattern that is encoded in our genetic apparatus. It turns out that the memory can not be kept, because all the molecules are destroyed, if some new emerged, they too will be destroyed. So must be the maintenance of the mechanism of formation of the same molecules in the same places, ie, must be binding to a place in the nervous system. Normally, this contact between the nerve cells. And these trillions of contacts. We have billions of nerve cells, and each of these tens of thousands of links. It is necessary to support a locally-selective, and the brain is able to do so.

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In recent years, it seems to have discovered a molecular cascade that is self-sustaining. That is, yes, a protein molecule in two or three days is replaced with a new, but they are altered as a result of the amount of training in the exact locations remain unchanged. That is our memory. It seems to have found a molecule that is associated with memory. Experiments were very simple: when exactly this molecule selectively reduced in numbers, the behavior is absolutely nothing has changed: wonderful fed animal, jump, run - anything, except for one - she faded memory of certain events. So far, this "removable" memory associated with the hazardous events - negative memory, shock hit the animal - that this memory can be, it appears, to erase selectively by introducing blockers for this protein is in this area. There's a problem in the selective delivery.

About editing of memories

Now there is a shaft of the work in this area. Well, we are also involved in this. And the problem is that the memory has been very dynamic process - it can, in fact, be changed, it can disappear and re-recorded. And it seems that it is possible to understand how it's done. Several hypotheses exist that can be selectively very locally erase the memory or vice versa it there somehow put. It will be extremely interesting, it will be a big jump in general throughout physiology. We have trillions of connections, and you want to change only a few hundred of them, selectively, the rest do not touch. Nature knows how to do it, we do not yet know how.

There may be a technological breakthrough. Now there are some very interesting studies nanoplatforms with nano-delivery. If we can solve the problem with the delivery of the election, then perhaps it will be possible as well, do not form a memory, as an old erase memory. This can be done if the technology delivery problem will be solved.

About funding for young scientists

The main program is focused on the Skolkovo technology. But now there is Skolkovo Institute of Technology, which provides grants for basic research is. And if there is a theme associated with the brain, we hope that we will be able to obtain financing, because there are world-class working environment, and you can pay people wages, for which they can currently provide housing. And for young people is a critical issue. Those young professionals who do not have housing in Moscow are forced to leave, just forced.

But in general, the desire to leave "for good" somehow weakened, and it shows. But, in fact, is not very surprising, interesting people to work. And the Academy of Sciences allows you to buy interesting new equipment in recent years. In millions of dollars, you can buy new plants. Young people are very willing to work, and we go abroad, but for two or three months a year. We bring out new technologies, new approaches, plans for cooperation, new ideas. Actually, it works all the foreign world. They always go for some time in other countries. In America, it is even a prerequisite: once in three years need a year to go to a completely different lab, in any case can not stay at home, it is a necessary condition in order that there was an exchange of ideas, technologies and ideas. We do not have this, unfortunately, but we leave the situation in other ways.

About study of memory

Subject memory historically Ivan Pavlov in Russia was very fashionable, popular and taught very well so far. In this area, I taught a course, I know very well that the Russian preparations in this area - it is one of the best in the world, because we have a very big tradition, and all the literature - in Russian. In English it is very small, oddly enough. There are individuals engaged in such research, and of whole courses, such information which is in Russian - probably in America can be found, while in other countries it is already problematic. And so in this regard the opinion of Russian scientists is very appreciated, because everyone understands that a great story, school research behind it.

And then, in the memory is still no technological breakthrough, by which Western scientists could jump forward. there was a hypothesis about a particular molecular cascade in the past few years. But it is possible to investigate, and not using technology very seriously. We at the institute are working on the level of Western scholars unpublished data, we closely communicate with them, and while they have not yet published the publication, we have similar work is going.

About Student Mobility

The structure of the living body has not changed. Textbooks Biology 30s, 60s, 70s are very good. And in all biological universities teaching is the classic textbooks. Quality is more dependent on teachers. If a good team, the well-prepared students. Plus, now there is a huge opportunity on the internet to get almost any information.

That's pretty obvious, is that students are not from Moscow and St. Petersburg are not so well-educated. They have a very good knowledge in a narrow range, which, for example, was the reason for professors are very good. Talents have anywhere on the planet. But the narrowness of some education - it is present. That is, they simply do not know about the existence of so many modern things. For some reason, yet still do not use the Internet. That's the only difference I noticed. But gaining breadth of thinking they are literally half a year.

We now have such an international graduate school is supported by the European Council program for the exchange of graduate students in Russia. They can go on an internship in any institutions of higher learning in the two to three months. Such a program, unfortunately, is not supported by the Ministry of Education and supported by reason, by the European Council. But it is limited in time, next year it ends, even though it was very effective. For a small number of students, again due to financial constraints, they paid trip in almost all universities in Russia and abroad, including in Europe. You could go for two or three months to see what they were doing, to learn new technologies and to come back to him. To have people on the ground with a wide range of view, with a broad education. Such a program, it seems to me, need for Russia.

About old and new school textbooks

In older textbooks on biology were quite correctly described information. And in the new times, I do not know why it is done and for what purpose, the material is presented in such a way that it is almost impossible to understand, much less then tell. That is actually a tutorial focused on the answers to specific questions, it is focused on the exam, and not on an understanding of biology. Biology is different from the physics of the chemistry that is necessary to understand the overall interaction of all systems. Live, it is quite another. Biologists, doctors - they are always a little different look on the body, a living creature, unlike physicists who see a set of parts. New textbooks that point of view, in my opinion, do not give. But super-talented person probably does not matter. He will still find more literature.

But for the average student who may not be very much wants to specialize in biology - it is very difficult. They remember some fragmentary data. I was faced with this: a holistic view of the living organism, some students simply do not have.

About the difference between the physicians and biologists

Do physicians and biologists have a serious difference: the physician should be that all was normal, but the biologist norm just is not needed. The biologist must unbalance, out of the norm, and then he will see what's inside the body.

The purpose of the biologist is to understand how the body, what are the mechanisms. The goal of physicians is to maintain normal. And the difference in order to effect a little. But, nevertheless, biologists, and physicians perceive a man and any animal as a single creature. And the environment, and everything around us, all the incentives, all the animal state, are able to evaluate it as a whole.

About the search for ideas and neurocomputers

I have seen, unfortunately, it is the opinion of physicists, that the idea can be explored. The proposals were such grants were such. But it is impossible to explore the idea, because the thought does not exist in our bodies, in our brains, it is not. It is our metaphorical understanding of what is happening there. You see, awarding processes in the brain in such an epithet and then trying to explore the epithet - all this is doomed to failure automatically. Because it is necessary to explore what exists is material, in full conjunction with all others.

Yes, the neurons are activated upon receipt of information, but the very concept of the idea - it is a purely abstract concept. She's not there, so look for it there is meaningless and posed as a problem especially. Sometimes it is very difficult, because in biology, especially neuroscience, and people come from the physical and mathematical background. And there is a problem, there is a difference in views. Those neurocomputers - it is quite fashionable. But neurocomputers generally unrelated to the brain do not have. This is purely a fashionable term, they tried, to simulate the brain, but then came up with a completely new principles, which are not in our brain. These studies resulted in a slightly different principles of conventional computer equipment.

About recognition of odors

Research of physicists, mathematicians, based more on their perceptions of the brain, rather than on real biological data. A classic example - it is arranged as a recognition of odors. It was believed that the recognition of smells exactly the same answer millions of neurons in the primary receptor areas, and only about a thousand centers, where information converges. Scientists have tried to make and model of the device for detecting very weak odors (eg, explosive molecules in the air and so on) based on the structure of the system. Very large sums of money have been released for it in America.

The device did not work, and in 1998 published data, in fact everything is arranged. It turns out that all of these millions of neurons are divided into thousands of types, and each type are uniformly distributed, they all send processes at one point, thousands of these dots. The fact that the millions of neurons in the receptor epithelium updated every 30-35 days, constantly emerging new processes and sends information to processing centers. It is genetically encoded, and each new neuron independently finds its way to your process. This principle is no one even suggested, it was seen purely morphologically. And then we understand how the coding of odors. Really simple, effective way of coding, which was not predicted by anyone. Nature, she's always one step ahead.

About human and animal memory

Apparently, the main mechanisms of memory are absolutely the same. Moreover, to everyone's surprise, it turned out that the basic molecules that are involved in the most critical moment of the memory lock, were super conservative. Do snails and humans the same basic molecule by 98%. Apparently, evolution has occurred in the selection of the most effective mechanisms, and so they survived. Differences are already in the system as it is connected. If the same snail is the simplest version of the 3-4 elements, then it is 3-4 million a person, and a lot more options. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have been super conservative.

In some animals, such as insects appeared in special molecular evolution. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms, like, like, too. For example, the same neurotransmitters, i.e. substances released by neurons to communicate with each other. Classic only about 40, and they are the same in structure in all animals. They have the most lower organized animals and we have added only protein influence. Proteins much greater variability. And it acquired the qualities that a person has, in contrast to other animals. Already by combinatorics, of the same elements, you can create a completely different system.