source: Google Research: A connectomics milestone: Mapping the complete male fruit fly brain
level: research
google research and hhmi janelia released a complete wiring diagram of the male fruit fly brain and central nervous system. the map includes over 166,000 neurons and 125 million synaptic connections, making it the largest brain map by neuron count so far. it covers the central brain, optic lobes, and ventral nerve cord, which is analogous to a spinal cord. this work is part of a decade-long partnership to advance connectomics using ai and computing.
the connectome was annotated and proofread by human experts at hhmi janelia. it is available through neuroglancer, an open-source tool for visualizing large multidimensional datasets. the map complements an existing female fruit fly brain map, allowing comparisons between sexes. researchers can now link sensory inputs like vision, smell, and hearing to motor outputs. however, mapping still requires years of human effort for verification and annotation, which limits how quickly larger brains can be tackled.
the project builds on earlier work, including a 2020 map of half a female fruit fly brain with 25,000 neurons. new ai methods, such as flood-filling networks and the pathfinder system, improve reconstruction speed and accuracy. the team is also mapping parts of fish brains, including the elephantnose fish and larval zebrafish, which are closer to humans. these efforts aim to reveal how brains work and could eventually inform treatments for conditions like alzheimer's or depression.
why it matters: this complete connectome gives neuroscientists a reference map to study how neural circuits produce behavior, which can guide research on brain disorders and inspire more efficient ai systems.
source: Google Research: A connectomics milestone: Mapping the complete male fruit fly brain