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Scientists Map Full Brain of Adult Male Fruit Fly · Digg

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Scientists Map Full Brain of Adult Male Fruit Fly

Imagine tracing every neuron and connection in a fruit fly's brain—from eyes to wings. Researchers just did it, unlocking secrets of fly behavior in stunning detail.

A team from Google Research, HHMI Janelia, University of Cambridge, and MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology announced the complete connectome of an adult male fruit fly on September 3. This map charts over 166,000 neurons and millions of synapses across the brain, optic lobes, and ventral nerve cord, using AI to assemble electron microscope images with human proofreading. It reveals hundreds of sex-specific neuron types explaining courtship and aggression differences, and the public dataset now aids studies on vision, walking, and social behaviors. The achievement, nearly two decades in the making, sets a record as the largest cellular brain map yet.

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5 posts, first seen 1d ago

88.7K likes563 comments13.3K saves3.4K reposts

Scientists Map Full Brain of Adult Male Fruit Fly

Imagine tracing every neuron and connection in a fruit fly's brain—from eyes to wings. Researchers just did it, unlocking secrets of fly behavior in stunning detail.

A team from Google Research, HHMI Janelia, University of Cambridge, and MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology announced the complete connectome of an adult male fruit fly on September 3. This map charts over 166,000 neurons and millions of synapses across the brain, optic lobes, and ventral nerve cord, using AI to assemble electron microscope images with human proofreading. It reveals hundreds of sex-specific neuron types explaining courtship and aggression differences, and the public dataset now aids studies on vision, walking, and social behaviors. The achievement, nearly two decades in the making, sets a record as the largest cellular brain map yet.

Posts from X

5 posts

NF
News from Google@NewsFromGoogle Yesterday
For the first time, scientists have mapped the complete brain and central nervous system of an adult male fruit fly — a key model organism in science. 🪰 Working alongside HHMI Janelia Research Campus and the scientific community, @GoogleResearch scientists and researchers used…
- likes: 12K
- replies: 229
- bookmarks: 3.7K
- reposts: 1.2K
GR
Google Research@GoogleResearch Yesterday
Introducing a complete map of the male fruit fly brain and central nervous system, created in partnership with @HHMIJanelia. With over 166,000 neurons, this is the largest cellular brain map to date. Learn more: https://goo.gle/4qQTtIW
A connectomics milestone: Mapping the complete male fruit fly brainFrom research.google
- likes: 4.6K
- replies: 91
- bookmarks: 1K
- reposts: 466
AC
Autism Capital 🧩@AutismCapital Yesterday
We're so cooked chat. Enjoy these final few years of whatever it means to be in human society.
- likes: 4.7K
- replies: 68
- bookmarks: 871
- reposts: 188
JI
jimmy@JIMMYEDGAR Yesterday
they hooked it up to an ai and all it talked about was rotting food btw, the paper is insane
- likes: 21.5K
- replies: 55
- bookmarks: 6.1K
- reposts: 411
MM
MECHANICAL MAGNIFICUS@CALVINGINEERING Yesterday
I wonder what they’re training this time…
- likes: 45.9K
- replies: 120
- bookmarks: 1.5K
- reposts: 1.2K

Combined views

6.9M

5 posts, first seen 1d ago

88.7K likes563 comments13.3K saves3.4K reposts

Vibrant 3D digital reconstruction of a fruit fly brain against a white background, displaying a dense, intricate network of multicolored neural fibers and cell bodies in shades of blue, cyan, orange, and purple.

Vibrant 3D digital reconstruction of a fruit fly brain against a white background, displaying a dense, intricate network of multicolored neural fibers and cell bodies in shades of blue, cyan, orange, and purple.

Posts from X

5 posts

NF
News from Google@NewsFromGoogle Yesterday
For the first time, scientists have mapped the complete brain and central nervous system of an adult male fruit fly — a key model organism in science. 🪰 Working alongside HHMI Janelia Research Campus and the scientific community, @GoogleResearch scientists and researchers used…
- likes: 12K
- replies: 229
- bookmarks: 3.7K
- reposts: 1.2K
GR
Google Research@GoogleResearch Yesterday
Introducing a complete map of the male fruit fly brain and central nervous system, created in partnership with @HHMIJanelia. With over 166,000 neurons, this is the largest cellular brain map to date. Learn more: https://goo.gle/4qQTtIW
A connectomics milestone: Mapping the complete male fruit fly brainFrom research.google
- likes: 4.6K
- replies: 91
- bookmarks: 1K
- reposts: 466
AC
Autism Capital 🧩@AutismCapital Yesterday
We're so cooked chat. Enjoy these final few years of whatever it means to be in human society.
- likes: 4.7K
- replies: 68
- bookmarks: 871
- reposts: 188
JI
jimmy@JIMMYEDGAR Yesterday
they hooked it up to an ai and all it talked about was rotting food btw, the paper is insane
- likes: 21.5K
- replies: 55
- bookmarks: 6.1K
- reposts: 411
MM
MECHANICAL MAGNIFICUS@CALVINGINEERING Yesterday
I wonder what they’re training this time…
- likes: 45.9K
- replies: 120
- bookmarks: 1.5K
- reposts: 1.2K