·2005

In June, the EPFL and IBM sign an agreement to launch the Blue Brain project (BBP). The agreement provides for the installation of a BlueGene  supercomputer on the EPFL campus.

·2006

In February, the project takes shape. An article in Nature Reviews Neuroscience by Henry Markram describes the project’s goals and methods.  During the summer, the BBP team generates its first model of a cortical column, using a simplified neuron model..

·2007

In January, Henry Markram presents the project to the Davos forum. November 26 marks the end of the first phase of the project, which announces the completion of an initial model of the rat cortical column

·2008

The BBP team tests the accuracy of its model-building against anatomical and physiological data from laboratory experiments. In June, an article in the HFSP Journal summarizes the on-going debate on the size and location of functional cortical columns

·2009

In June, thanks to the CADMOS initiative, the BBP’s BlueGene/L supercomputer is replaced by a BlueGene/P, with double the number of processors . The new machine represents a major increase in BBP computing power.

"In silico"  experimentation is in full swing, testing the behaviour of BBP models against results from other research groups. The results provide new insights into the principles underlying the construction of neocortical microcircuitry.

·2010

The BBP drives the formation of a Consortium to participate in the European Commission’s newly launched FET Flagship Programme.  In December, the new consortium applies to the Commission (Seventh Framework Programme - FP7) to fund a large scale research project – the Human Brain Project. The goal of the new project is to understand the human brain and its diseases and, ultimately, to emulate its computational capabilities. A key objective is to reconstruct and simulate the whole human brain. The approach described in the project proposal builds on the methods and tools developed in the BBP.

 

·2011

In January, the European Commission informs the Human Brain Project consortium that it has been selected to perform a preparatory study. Work on the study begins in May, coordinated by members of BBP.

The project hires new engineers and scientist. In November the enlarged team moves to new office space in the EPFL Innovation Park. The project publishes several high impact papers describing new methods to generate cell models and in silico studies of virtual brain tissue.

 

·2012

In April, Human Brain Project Consortium concludes its preparatory study and publishes a public report. In October the HBP consortium submits its formal application to become a FET Flagship project. The Blue Brain team coordinates the preparation of the proposal.

An important paper in PNAS describes BBP-developed methods, making it possible to predict the connectivity of neocortical microcircuitry.

At the Neuroscience 2012 conference in New Orleans, the Blue Brain Project presents more than 20 posters, describing a first reconstruction of the rat cortical column.

 

·2013

On January 28, the EU Commission announces that it has selected the Human Brain Project as one of its two FET Flagship projects (cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet/flagship/doc/press28jan13-01_en.pdf). Work on the project begins in October 2013, with the Blue Brain team playing a leading role. EPFL hosts the project’s first “Summit Meeting”

 

The Blue Brain Project is officially granted the status of a Swiss National Research Infrastructure, funded by the ETH Board

 

Two important BBP publications describe the use of BBP models ed to identify and characterize  “neuronal clusters” in neural microcircuits, and to predict local field potentials.

 

·2014

The BBP computing team works to improve the efficiency and scope of BBP computing tools and supercomputing infrastructure. A series of publications describe the new tools.

In June, the BBP replaces its previous supercomputer (the BlueGene/P) with a BlueGene/Q machine (Blue Brain 4) hosted at the Swiss National Computing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano. The new machine offers higher performance and expanded memory.

In the same month, BBP, IBM Research and ETH Zürich announce a collaboration to develop a new hybrid memory strategy for supercomputers, matching the heavy memory requirements for reconstructions of large volumes of neural tissue (brain regions, whole brains).

The BBP completes validated digital reconstructions of neural microcircuitry in the brain of young rats. Work begins on a major paper, presenting the reconstruction, and on online resources, making the results available to the broader community.

 

·2015

The BBP moves to new facilities at EPFL’s Biotech Campus in Geneva.

A new paper from the BBP team describes novel methods enabling in silico light sheet microscopy on reconstructions of neural microcircuitry.