A revolutionary breakthrough in brain mapping is making waves across the scientific community! A Chinese-led team, in collaboration with global experts, has unveiled comprehensive mesoscale brain atlases at single-cell resolution 🚀. This pioneering work integrates cutting-edge high-resolution imaging, spatial transcriptomic analysis, and AI technologies to decode the neural networks that drive perception, movement, learning, memory, and decision-making.
Published as a collection of 10 seminal studies in renowned journals like Cell and Neuron, these studies expand our understanding of species ranging from reptiles and birds to rodents, non-human primates, and humans. Scientific director Muming Poo from the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology stated, "Our research has successfully extended brain mapping from rodents to primates," adding that primate brains are significantly more complex than those of rodents.
Leading investigator Sun Yangang highlighted two major technical advances: one in single-cell spatial transcriptomics for large primate brain samples, critical for understanding normal and diseased cell types, and another in capturing submicron-resolution images of neuronal connections along with high-throughput 3D reconstructions 🧠.
With over 300 scientists involved from the Chinese mainland and international institutions, this collaborative effort enriches the global brain atlas database, paving the way for deeper insights into the developmental and evolutionary nuances of neural connectivity. The breakthrough calls for sustained global collaboration to further decipher the intricate mysteries of the brain.
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Chinese-led team unveils breakthrough in brain mapping research
cgtn.com
