Second complete map of a fruit fly brain completed
Every neuron and connection in the brain of a fly has been mapped—twice.
On Friday, researchers announced the completion of a comprehensive map detailing every neuron in the brain of a male fruit fly. This connectome, as it is known, serves not only to boost neurobiology research but also presents an opportunity to conduct independent scientific investigations. Earlier this year, the map of a female Drosophila brain had already been created.
The team behind this work also utilized the opportunity to enhance tools that are expected to be applied to increasingly complex nervous systems, potentially including those of vertebrates. The collaborative effort was a partnership between biologists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus and computer scientists at Google.
Both parties acknowledged the mutual dependence, noting that neither could have achieved this feat without the other. Preparing an entire brain for imaging at such a high resolution demands specialized skills, as does interpreting the data gleaned from these images. However, constructing a comprehensive picture of the hundreds of millions of synapses in such a tiny brain is a task beyond human capabilities within a reasonable timeframe.
The team behind the project anticipates that, in the long run, their efforts will prove invaluable. The connectome could provide neurobiologists with a powerful tool for unraveling the complexities of brain function.
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- Second complete map of a fruit fly brain completed arstechnica.com
