De novo evolution of macroscopic multicellularity.

While early multicellular lineages necessarily started out as relatively simple groups of cells, little is known about how they became Darwinian entities capable of sustained multicellular evolution. Here we investigate this with a multicellularity long-term evolution experiment, selecting for larger group size in the snowflake yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) model system. Given the historical importance of oxygen limitation, our ongoing experiment consists of three metabolic treatments-anaerobic, obligately aerobic and mixotrophic yeast.

A three-dimensional thalamocortical dataset for characterizing brain heterogeneity.

Neural microarchitecture is heterogeneous, varying both across and within brain regions. The consistent identification of regions of interest is one of the most critical aspects in examining neurocircuitry, as these structures serve as the vital landmarks with which to map brain pathways. Access to continuous, three-dimensional volumes that span multiple brain areas not only provides richer context for identifying such landmarks, but also enables a deeper probing of the microstructures within.

Large-scale neuroanatomy using LASSO: Loop-based Automated Serial Sectioning Operation.

Serial section transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM) is the most promising tool for investigating the three-dimensional anatomy of the brain with nanometer resolution. Yet as the field progresses to larger volumes of brain tissue, new methods for high-yield, low-cost, and high-throughput serial sectioning are required. Here, we introduce LASSO (Loop-based Automated Serial Sectioning Operation), in which serial sections are processed in "batches.