What the Human Genome Project did for genetics research, a new long-term government-sponsored mission hopes to do for the human brain.

President Barack Obama wants government and private scientists to band together for the next 10 years and unlock the secrets of human neurological function.

The project could begin as soon as next month, and will involve federal agencies and private foundations as well as neuroscientists and nanoscientists.

Experts say the research could lead to better understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia and autism, and could produce new therapies for mental illnesses. Additionally, it may open doors for new achievements in the area of artificial intelligence.

Scientists hope the government will invest about $300 million a year for the project, which would mean an overall investment of $3 billion by the time it is over. But, they add, the work could more than pay for itself in the long run.

For instance, the Human Genome Project cost $3.8 billion. But the knowledge it uncovered about human genes led to tremendous growth in biotechnology, producing an estimated $800 billion in economic benefits as of 2010, according to a study by the Battelle Memorial Institute.

The new brain project will be organized by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and will also involve the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Obama Seeking to Boost Study of Human Brain (by John Markoff, New York Times)

The Brain Activity Map Project and the Challenge of Functional Connectomics (by A. Paul Alivisatos, Miyoung Chun, George M. Church, Ralph J. Greenspan, Michael L. Roukes, and Rafael Yuste; Neuron) (pdf)

Newly Discovered Photos of Einstein’s Brain Provide Insights (by Noel Brinkerhoff and Danny Biederman, AllGov)

Artificial Brain Answers IQ Test Questions (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

First Commercial Brain-Operated Computer (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)