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The MouseLight Project lighting-up over a 1000 neurons in the mouse brain

12 October 2019

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

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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