Mouse Nous

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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

Summer

CAT COUNT: 18

TOM:MOLLY RATIO: 10:8

Eastwind loses a life.

Drizzle dies as a kitten and is given the name Drizzlewind.

Fawn dies as a kitten and is given the name Fawndapple.

COMMANDER

Eastwind the Founder (7y; 5/9) - shorthaired polydactyl lilac point molly (mother of Eveninggaze’s kittens: Mouse, a longhaired fawn molly with white gloves; Flip, a shorthaired lilac tom with white gloves; Brave, a shorthaired polydactyl lilac classic tabby tom with white gloves; Bracken, a shorthaired polydactyl fawn molly with white gloves; Dust, a shorthaired polydactyl lilac ticked tabby tom with white gloves)

TENDERPAW, TULIP

LEGATE

Maplebright (8y) - longhaired black silver mackerel torbie and white molly

MENDER

Fleckmask (3y) - longhaired polydactyl black smoke karpati tom with low white and curled ears

TENDERPAW, GRAY

DOYEN

None.

EMISSARIES

Eveninggaze (7y) - longhaired lilac ticked tabby tom with white gloves

TENDERPAW, SILVER

Beechleap (4y) - shorthaired polydactyl cinnamon golden rosetted tabby tom with high white

KEEPERS

Archcloud (4y) - longhaired blue silver mackerel caliby molly with a shortened tail

Barkfur (3y) - shorthaired chocolate mackerel tabby tom with curled ears

TENDERPAWS

Silver (1y) - longhaired polydactyl blue golden broken braided tabby tom with high white

Tulip (1y) - shorthaired blue broken braided caliby molly with a shortened tail

Gray (1y) - longhaired polydactyl blue silver broken braided tabby tom with high white

QUEENS & KITTENS

300 neurons traced in extensive brain wiring map

300 neurons traced in extensive brain wiring mapInside the mouse brain, individual neurons zigzag across hemispheres, embroider branching patterns, and, researchers have now shown, often spool out spindly fibers nearly half a meter long. Scientists can see and explore these wandering neural traces in 3-D, in the most extensive map of mouse brain wiring yet attempted. The map – the result of an…