Inside a human brain bank, where frozen tubs preserve slices of spongy tissue
In modern medicine, the brain bank is an invaluable element of studying the brain — still the most poorly understood organ in the human body.
The final product is a precisely cut sample whose severed portion can be studied or shipped out, while the remaining portion can go back with the rest of the freezer samples.
When it comes time to slice off a pre-frontal cortex or amygdala, one of the technicians will run the slice through a jigsaw.
Serial numbers help. Each slice eventually gets a unique ID that helps the technicians match a slice to a person's specific case.
Turning full-sized specimens into smaller portions and keeping it all organized is nothing short of a herculean task. Dr. Haroutunian and his crew must have incredible attention to detail so as not to mix up specimens.
It's up to the bank technicians to sort and itemize certain samples based on their intended destination or future role in academic studies.
These tubs contain hundreds if not thousands of slices waiting to be cut into even smaller pieces for examination.
... is sliced into cross-sections and flash-frozen in nitrogen. It lives out the remainder of its time in a freezer kept at -112 degrees Fahrenheit.
Each brain is cut in half upon arrival. One half sits in formaldehyde, but the other half ...
The bank has distributed specimens to more than 50 facilities both inside and outside the US. Its inventory has led to research being published in over 350 peer-reviewed articles.
Dr. Haroutunian must handle the brains with care since they are coated in a mixture of formalin, methanol, and formaldehyde.
Each brain gets tagged according to its particular donor and the neuropathology. Some arrive whole from families, while some get shipped from other labs.
In most cases, the bank stores more than a person's brain. It also collects cerebrospinal fluid, muscle tissue, and DNA.
Dr. Vahram Haroutunian has been the brain bank's director since the very beginning. He oversees the storage, preservation, and distribution of tissue to other banks for study.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement