Neuroengineer Ed Boyden wants to know how the tiny biomolecules in our brains generate emotions, thoughts and feelings -- and he wants to find the molecular changes that lead to disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer's. Rather than magnify these invisible structures with a microscope, he wondered: What if we physically enlarge them and make them easier to see? Learn how the same polymers used to make baby diapers swell could be a key to better understanding our brains.

Ed Boyden: A new way to study the brain's invisible secrets

A new way to study the brain's invisible secrets

Discover how polymers, akin to those in baby diapers, could unlock the brain's mysteries by magnifying its invisible intricacies.

Expansion microscopy: a revolutionary technique promising to illuminate the brain's molecular architecture and disease origins.

Through physically enlarging brain tissue, scientists aim to pinpoint molecular changes in diseases, potentially revolutionizing treatment.