Brain Research Experience

The level of complexity of scientific methodology has significantly increased with the advanced technical progress in the recent years. As a consequence, the challenge of developing an excellent communication strategy to explain the individual research approach without losing attention of the audience has risen at the same magnitude. Thus, the project "Brain Research Experience" will develop an innovative communication strategy to present the scientific methodology and genetic rationale of patient-relevant stem cell research through a 3D animation video and a Virtual Reality (VR) experience. These digital products will provide both, the general public as well as the scientific community, with a visually supportive tool to experience the fundamental aspects of stem cell research and the complex genetic strategy Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) involved. An approximately 3-minute video will demonstrate the main methodological aspects of our research in brain development, particularly the generation of the neocortex, and the MADM principle. The accompanying VR will allow the users to explore the brain and neural stem cells and apply genetic research methodology on their own. Thereby, users can digitally perform and analyze their own MADM experiment using the VR app, thus not only learning about research, but actually experiencing it. The animations will provide multisensorial support for the explanation of complex biological processes and methods, which makes it easier to understand and experience our research approach. A high amount of content can be displayed in a short time frame, which allows for a lively and memorable experience for the audience. Distinct target groups among the general public and scientific community can participate in activities making use of the proposed project: e.g. in conference talks, in science exhibitions at the upcoming Visitor Center at IST, in science education activities at IST Austria or in schools, on social media, on our professional research profiles, and on the website of the Hippenmeyer lab. This effective communication strategy of our scientific methodology provides an innovative and sustainable framework for both, the general public and a professional audience (such as peers/reviewers/funding agencies), to evaluate the significance and novelty of scientific approaches and their accompanying results.

The "Brain Research Experience" project relies on a new communication strategy, namely not only the illustration, but above all the active experience of scientific content using animations. These are made available to users in the form of a short animation video and an exploratory virtual reality (VR) application. This project is linked to the FWF-Hertha-Firnberg research project by Dr. Nicole Amberg. Due to the thematic focus of Dr. Amberg's research project, the communication products created by the company "mindconsole" include an exploration of the brain, the formation of the cerebral cortex, and the application of the genetic method "Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers" (MADM). VR allows users to explore all these topics themselves, to digitally conduct and analyze their own MADM-experiment and experiencing Nicole Amberg's everyday research in the virtual neuroscience lab. This not only makes it much easier to understand the research methodology and research content presented, but also creates a lively and memorable experience for the users, which leaves a lasting impression long after the learning moment has been applied. The project was taken over by the ISTA Science Education Team for further use and will therefore be accessible to interested users in a variety of ways for a long time to come.