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PLASS 2017

The dense neuronal network of the medial entorhinal cortex (neuronal cables in grey) and the surprisingly precise pattern of synapses found in this part of the brain shown in color. Schmidt et al. Nature 2017; © Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Design: Julia Kuhl www.somedonkey.com

Nerve cell “trio” (in color) found to be very specifically connected within the dense network of the brain (shown in grey). Schmidt et al. Nature 2017; © Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Design: Julia Kuhl www.somedonkey.com

Precise sorting of synapses (in blue and red) within the dense network of the medial entorhinal cortex, reconstructed using connectomic techniques. Schmidt et al. Nature 2017; © Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Design: Julia Kuhl www.somedonkey.com

For more information see http://plass.brain.mpg.de/.

webKnossos 2017

Illustration of cells from the cerebral cortex reconstructed in flight mode. Illustrations. Boergens et al. Nature Methods 2017; © Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Design: Julia Kuhl www.somedonkey.com

For more information see https://webknossos.org/.

SynEM 2017

Staffler et al. eLife 2017; © Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

For more information see http://synem.brain.mpg.de/.

SegEM 2015

Flight along an axon in mouse cerebral cortex, showing the “skeleton” of the nerve cell; followed by a display of SegEM-reconstructed nerve cells. Berning, Boergens, Helmstaedter 2015, © Max Planck Institute for Brain Research

For more information see the SegEM paper.

Neural circuit reconstruction using SegEM

Retina flight 2013

Volume reconstruction of 950 nerve cells in a block of mouse retina. Each color represents one neuron. Flight along the blood vessels (appearing as “tunnels” in the dense web of neuronal processes). When diving into the nerve cell tissue, a large fraction of the volume is densely filled with nerve cell fibers, the “cables” in the brain. Glia cells and nerve cells that had their cell bodies outside of the data block are not shown. Helmstaedter et al., 2013; © Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany

Retina connectome 2013

Illustration of the process by which a three-dimensional electron-microscopic data set is turned into a cellular-resolution connectivity matrix (“connectome”). Helmstaedter et al., 2013; © Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany

TEDx Talk 2011

TEDxVienna - Moritz Helmstaedter - Brain Mapping

BR alpha (German) 2014

Brainflight - Forschung als Spiel. © BR, 2014

Nature 2013

At the micro-scale the brain is a mess; a thick tangle of nerve cells connected at synapses. Mapping just a tiny portion of this mess, a few hundred cells, is a huge challenge. You have to wonder if it's worth the effort. But seeing exactly how brain cells are wired together is giving us new insights into brain function. The researchers who made the 3D maps in this video discovered a new type of cell and worked out how insects see movement. If you've ever tried to swat a fly you'll know how good they are at sensing motion! © Nature, 2013

Spiegel (German) 2012

Hirn-Kartographie: Forscher erschaffen 3-D-Modell von Maus-Retina. © Spiegel, 2013

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Recent publication

Schmidt H, Gour A, Straehle J, Boergens KM, Brecht M, Helmstaedter, M (2017) Axonal Synapse sorting medial entorhinal cortex, Nature 549:469-475. Pubmed pdf

MPI Brain