How do neurons grow during the development of the nervous system? Johannes Krottje from CWI modelled this growth and made a flexible simulation package - AGTools - for biologists and brain researchers. On 17 November he received his PhD at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. Although a number of development principles concerning axons (the tips of the neurons) are known, the precise mechanisms are not. It is known that axons grow towards areas with higher concentrations of certain chemicals - guidance molecules - but the process is yet unknown in the case that these chemicals come from different directions.
Mathematician Johannes Krottje developed one of the first simulation packages enabling biologists to flexibly study the growth of axons while the concentration of the guidance molecules or the location of the neurons are changed. The ultimate goal of such computer simulations is to enhance insight in biological processes and consequently have better or less experiments.
More information can be found on MAS1's website or the UvA science agenda
