High-throughput Neurotechnology and Quantum Electron Microscopy

Therapeutic treatment of central nervous system pathologies, such as spinal cord injuries, brain trauma, stroke, and neurodegenerative disorders, will greatly benefit from the discovery of small molecules that enhance neuronal growth after injury. Identification of a diverse repertoire of such molecules and of their cellular targets can also provide important tools for fundamental investigations of the mechanisms involved in the regeneration process. Currently, small-molecule screens for factors affecting neuronal regrowth can only be performed using simple in vitro cell culture systems. However, these systems do not truly represent in vivo environment. Importantly, off-target, toxic or lethal effects of chemical compounds may only manifest in vivo. Thus, the thorough investigation of neuronal regeneration mechanisms requires in vivo neuronal injury models.