Publications by authors named "Amy R Sterling"

Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the complex networks of neurons in the brain, highlighting their similarities to artificial networks and how these connections influence perception and behavior.* -
  • Researchers completed the first comprehensive wiring diagram of an adult fly's brain, consisting of over 130,000 neurons, enabling analysis of its statistical properties and structural organization.* -
  • Findings reveal that the fly brain has a "rich-club" organization with a significant number of highly connected neurons, and the data can be accessed through the FlyWire Codex for further research on neural activity and brain structure.*
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Article Synopsis
  • Neuroscience aims to create a causal model of the nervous system, and recent research on the fly connectome maps the synaptic connections between neurons but lacks details on their signaling strength in real conditions.
  • A new integrated approach combines experimental data from optogenetic perturbations with statistical methods to estimate the causal relationships in the fly brain, referred to as the 'effectome'.
  • The findings suggest that the fly’s brain dynamics are primarily governed by small, independent circuits of neurons, making it feasible to develop a causal model for its brain activity.
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A catalogue of neuronal cell types has often been called a 'parts list' of the brain, and regarded as a prerequisite for understanding brain function. In the optic lobe of Drosophila, rules of connectivity between cell types have already proven to be essential for understanding fly vision. Here we analyse the fly connectome to complete the list of cell types intrinsic to the optic lobe, as well as the rules governing their connectivity.

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Article Synopsis
  • The research focuses on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a crucial model in neuroscience, aided by extensive resources like the FlyWire whole-brain connectome and a hierarchical annotation of neuron classes and types.
  • The study reveals 8,453 annotated cell types, with 4,581 being newly identified, highlighting the complexity of the fly brain and emphasizing the difficulty in reidentifying some hemibrain cell types in FlyWire.
  • A new definition of cell type is proposed based on cell similarities across different brains, and the study illustrates findings related to neuron connectivity, structural stability, and a consensus atlas for the fly brain's neuroanatomy, supporting future comparative studies.
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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers have created a detailed neuronal wiring diagram of the whole brain of a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), mapping over 5 billion chemical synapses between more than 139,000 neurons, to better understand brain function.
  • The study includes detailed annotations about various cell types, nerve pathways, and neurotransmitter identities, and the data is freely available for other researchers to use and explore.
  • By analyzing synaptic pathways and connections, the project helps illustrate how neural structures relate to sensorimotor behaviors, paving the way for similar studies in other species.
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Article Synopsis
  • Neuroscience seeks to create a causal model of the nervous system to explain animal behavior through neuron interactions.
  • The authors introduce a new method called the "effectome" that combines experimental data and statistical techniques to determine causal relationships in the fly brain.
  • Their findings suggest that the fly's brain dynamics are governed by many small, independent circuits, making it possible to develop a causal model of the fly brain for future research.
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A catalog of neuronal cell types has often been called a "parts list" of the brain, and regarded as a prerequisite for understanding brain function. In the optic lobe of , rules of connectivity between cell types have already proven essential for understanding fly vision. Here we analyze the fly connectome to complete the list of cell types intrinsic to the optic lobe, as well as the rules governing their connectivity.

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Brains comprise complex networks of neurons and connections. Network analysis applied to the wiring diagrams of brains can offer insights into how brains support computations and regulate information flow. The completion of the first whole-brain connectome of an adult , the largest connectome to date, containing 130,000 neurons and millions of connections, offers an unprecedented opportunity to analyze its network properties and topological features.

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Connections between neurons can be mapped by acquiring and analyzing electron microscopic (EM) brain images. In recent years, this approach has been applied to chunks of brains to reconstruct local connectivity maps that are highly informative, yet inadequate for understanding brain function more globally. Here, we present the first neuronal wiring diagram of a whole adult brain, containing 5×10 chemical synapses between ~130,000 neurons reconstructed from a female .

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Article Synopsis
  • The fruit fly is a key model organism in neuroscience due to its complex behaviors and accessible nervous system, bolstered by collaborative genetic resources.*
  • The FlyWire project has produced the first complete brain connectome of an adult fruit fly, providing a detailed catalog of approximately 130,000 neurons, including 4,552 cell types.*
  • Analysis indicated that while some neuronal connections were stable, others showed variability across individuals, revealing complexities in brain function and suggesting some cell types from previous studies may not be reliably identified in this new dataset.*
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Starburst amacrine cells are a prominent neuron type in the mammalian retina that has been well-studied for its role in direction-selective information processing. One specific property of these cells is that their dendrites tightly stratify at specific depths within the inner plexiform layer (IPL), which, together with their unique expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), has made them the most common depth marker for studying other retinal neurons in the IPL. This stratifying property makes it unexpected that they could routinely have dendrites reaching into the nuclear layer or that they could have somatic contact specializations, which is exactly what we have found in this study.

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Article Synopsis
  • Advances in automated imaging now allow for the mapping of entire brains, with projects needing significant time for data proofreading due to their size.
  • FlyWire is introduced as an online platform that enables collaborative proofreading of neural circuits in fruit flies, utilizing 3D interactive tools for efficient editing from anywhere.
  • The platform encourages community participation, enhances data accuracy, and promotes faster scientific discoveries, showcased through the analysis of mechanosensory neurons' connectome.
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