Major brain science breakthrough as brainwaves being produced in a lab for first time

Cross-section of a brain organoid (right) and a picture of the petri-brains (left). Photo / Muotri Lab

There has been a major breakthrough in brain science - with brainwaves being produced in a lab for the very first time.

Scientists have grown a miniature brain from human stem cells which for the first time can produce brainwaves.

The pea-sized miniature brains in Petri dishes, produced from human stem cells, started producing bursts of brainwaves - similar to those of premature babies - after just two months.

By putting them in a culture that mimics the environment of brain development, the stem cells differentiate into different types of brain cells and self-organise into a 3D structure resembling the developing human brain.

For 10 months, they watched hundreds of Petri dishes blossom into tiny brains which have now created their own neural network, stunning scientists.

Thee lab brains have now reached about the same stage of development as a premature baby.

Alysson Muotri, a biologist at the University of California, told NZME the findings are groundbreaking and could pave the way to understanding how the brain develops from an early age.

"This is something if you had asked me five years ago I'd have said it was impossible. Now it's inevitable, we just have to learn how to deal with the technology," he told Mike Hosking.

"My lab will have at any moment 30,000 to 50,000 of these miniature brains growing inside our labs every day.

"The brains will grow to 0.5cm in diameter. After three to four months it will stop growing. It's possible in the next year or so we'll have a way to keep feeding them so they can grow a little bit bigger.

"It's exciting as the brain is considered a black box. We have no idea how it's wired and it's an important time in development that will shape who you are for the rest of your life.

"You can imagine if you have a problem there, you could end up with autism or schizophrenia later on. It's important to understand the early stages of neurodevelopment."

Professor Bronwen Connor from the University of Auckland's Brain Research Centre says the brains are able to communicate at a very basic level.

She believes the breakthrough will give scientists a much better understanding of brains and brain disorders.

In an interview with US media, Muotri says he hopes the breakthrough could one day help scientists wanting to treat neurological conditions from an earlier age or development period.

"As a scientist, I want to get closer and closer to the human brain.

"I want to do that because I see the good in it. I can help people with neurological conditions by giving them better treatments and better quality of life.

"But it's up to us to decide where the limit is. It might be that the technology is not ready yet, or we don't know how to control the technology.

"This is the same kind of discussion around CRISPR in babies, and that's why we have ethics committees to represent all parts of the society."