Micro-Mod: an L-systems approach to neural modelling

Neurons and their support cells have a branching structure caused by their growth processes. The possibility of developing models of such structures can yield great rewards in our understanding of neural growth and function, and our ability to identify different types of neuron. Growth processes in other contexts have been successfully modelled as Lindenmayer systems, but little work has appeared using this approach for neural tissue. In this paper we present a new model of neuron growth using L-systems. MicroMod is a web-based program that allows models to be easily built using a comprehensive set of adjustable parameters. We illustrate some of the techniques facilitated by MicroMod, using the example of microglia. Simulated cells are compared with real cells, and then used to identify clusters that may provide a new classification of cell types. We suggest that the ability to link cluster description back to the parameters of the L-systems model may provide new insights into disease progression.