Harvard University and Google have introduced the most comprehensive map of human brain connections ever created, focusing on a cubic millimeter of the cerebral cortex from a patient who underwent epilepsy surgery in 2014.
This groundbreaking project provides an unprecedented view of the brain’s wiring.
The detailed analysis involved a small tissue sample containing around 57,000 cells and 150 million synapses.
Researchers used heavy metals to stain the tissue, embedded it in resin, and then sliced it into extremely thin sections.
These slices were analyzed using machine-learning algorithms developed with Google, creating a 3D model from the 2D images. This process generated a massive dataset of 1.4 petabytes.
The resulting map offers detailed insights into the brain’s cellular structure, identifying neurons with over 50 synapses, a previously overlooked detail.
However, the project faces challenges such as verifying vast amounts of data and resolving ambiguities in cell structures.
The brain map is now publicly available, paving the way for new research into mental health disorders and potential advancements in artificial intelligence.
