Coloured Vision

Mixing colours together to produce new ones sounds like an arty technique, but here researchers used genetic engineering to create a multi-coloured palette in the developing brain. Neurons [nerve cells] inside fruit fly brains were given artificial genes producing stochastic [random] amounts of green, red and blue fluorescent proteins. Pictured under a high-powered microscope, the neurons are 'painted' with random mixtures of these primary colours – a neuron producing more red and blue looks purple compared to a green-producing neighbour. As each neuron is labelled with a different colour their overall patterns can be untangled. These panels show four different types of neuron in the brain’s visual system – their patterns are different, which is not too surprising. Intriguingly though, certain types of neurons intertwine like baskets (bottom two brains), while others are arranged in neat tiles (top brains), giving a colourful new picture of how the brain’s circuitry develops.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

Website

• Image from work by Aljoscha Nern, Barret Pfeiffer and Gerald Rubin
• Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
• Copyright 2015 National Academy of Sciences
• Research published in PNAS, April 2015