Mouse Nous
<
The brain is home to millions of neurons – their different tree-like structures branch across brain areas in a diverse 'forest' of connections, helping to process information, coordinate our actions and form memories. Using viruses to light up individual mouse neurons, The MouseLight Project is building a 3D model of the brain, piecing together microscopy images of glowing cells using algorithms to map out their tracks. Recently passing the 1000-neuron mark, the project reveals some brain areas have groups of similar neurons, while other regions are peppered with a mixture. With the goal of understanding this complex organisation, the database continues to grow – here thousands of neurons blink into place in a 3D reconstruction, adding to the totalled length of 87+ metres of neurons mapped inside a brain the size of light bulb.
Written by John Ankers
Video from the MouseLight Project, Janelia Research Campus
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
Video copyright held by the original authors
Research published in Cell, September 2019
You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook













