Scientists create a multicolor atlas of the worm's brain using a new gene staining method

The human brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons, or nerve cells, connected to about 100

Each cell plays its own role that helpswe move muscles, process the environment, form memories, and more.

Given the huge number of neurons andconnections, there is still a lot we don't know about how neurons work together. Colombian scientists have developed a staining technique known as NeuroPAL (Neural Polychromatic Atlas), which makes it possible to identify each neuron in the mind of the Caenorhabditis elegans worm.

"Being able to identify neurons or other types of cells using color canHelp scientists visually understand the role of each part of the biological system.Not so with the system, it can help determine where the breakdown in the genes has occurred."

Eviatar Yemini, Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences of Colombia and lead authorinvestigations.

NeuroPAL using genetic techniques toBy "coloring" neurons with fluorescent colors, scientists, for the first time in history, identify each neuron in the animal's nervous system, while simultaneously recording the work of the entire nervous system.

To conduct their research, scientists createdtwo programs: one that identifies all neurons in the colorful images of the NeuroPAL worm, and the second that takes the NeuroPAL method out of the worm, creating optimal staining for potential methods of identifying any type of cell or tissue in any organism that allows genetic manipulation.

"We used NeuroPAL to record patterns of brain activity in the worm and decipher how the nervous system works."

Eviatar Yemini, Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences of Colombia and lead authorinvestigations.

Since neuron DNA associated with specific genes is stained with color, colors can also be used to reveal whether those specific genes are present in the cell or not.

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