The human brain is the most complex structure known to science. Our behaviour, feelings, thoughts, and maybe even consciousness itself, reflect the interplay of its electrical and chemical pathways. Many of the drugs used in the treatment of neurological and psychological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and depression, as well as mind-altering drugs of abuse, have specific chemical actions on nerve cells. Measuring real-time chemical events in the living brain, however, is a supreme technical challenge that has been achieved by only a very limited number of research groups world-wide. The research groups in the NACL are dedicated to the design and application of new technologies for brain analysis. Our aim is the real-time, long-term monitoring of the chemical environment of neurones during behaviour to understand normal brain functions, and to provide models of neuropsychological disorders and their treatment.