FlyWire Consortium Unveils First Complete Map of Adult Fruit Fly Brain with 139,255 Nerve Cells

Oct 2, 2024, 03:41 PM

Scientists have unveiled the first complete map of an adult fruit fly's brain, a groundbreaking achievement in neuroscience. This map, which includes 139,255 nerve cells and 50 million synapses, was created by the FlyWire Consortium, including researchers from Cambridge University, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and other institutions. The project, supported by the NIH BRAIN Initiative, provides unprecedented detail on neuronal connections and offers insights into neurological diseases. The map, which plotted 149 metres of biological wiring, could be a key step toward understanding larger brains and improving treatments for brain disorders. Additionally, the project included a computer simulation that accurately predicts fly behavior. The mapping effort took 5 years to complete.