Initiative

"We plan to comprehensively map the neuron network of an entire human brain at sub-cellular level to reveal the connections. This historical target is made possible by the recent performances of synchrotron x-ray microscopy: 0.3 micrometer resolution at 1 mm3/min image taking speed. However, mapping one human brain would take a very long time and generate a huge amount of data. To overcome problems, SYNAPSE adopts a strategy of simultaneous image acquisition by several synchrotrons and coordinated data management. SYNAPSE will also use other advanced imaging techniques besides synchrotron microscopy: infrared spectromicroscopy, super-resolution visible light 3D microscopy and cryo-electron tomography."

Resource

The Allen Mouse and Human Brain Atlases are projects within the Allen Institute for Brain Science which seek to combine genomics with neuroanatomy by creating gene expression maps for the mouse and human brain. They were initiated in September 2003 with a $100 million donation from Paul G. Allen and the first atlas went public in September 2006. As of May 2012, seven brain atlases have been published: Mouse Brain Atlas, Human Brain Atlas, Developing Mouse Brain Atlas, Developing Human Brain Atlas, Mouse Connectivity Atlas, Non-Human Primate Atlas, and Mouse Spinal Cord Atlas.

Resource

BrainMaps is an NIH-funded interactive zoomable high-resolution digital brain atlas and virtual microscope that is based on more than 140 million megapixels (140 terabytes) of scanned images of serial sections of both primate and non-primate brains and that is integrated with a high-speed database for querying and retrieving data about brain structure and function over the internet.

Currently featured are complete brain atlas datasets for 16 species; a few of which are: Macaca mulatta, Chlorocebus aethiops, Felis silvestris catus, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Tyto alba.

Resource

"BrainMap is a database of published functional and structural neuroimaging experiments with coordinate-based results (x,y,z) in Talairach or MNI space. The goal of BrainMap is to develop software and tools to share neuroimaging results and enable meta-analysis of studies of human brain function and structure in healthy and diseased subjects."

Initiative

The Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) is an organization of scientists with the main aim of organizing an annual meeting ("Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping").