The Allen Institute for Brain Science, a nonprofit research organization, has launched the publicly accessible Allen Cell Types Database to serve as a resource for researchers studying the building blocks of the human brain. The first datasets in the database deal with human nerve cells, including the electrical properties of approximately 300 different types of living cortical neurons from 36 patients, 3D reconstructions of the anatomy of 100 of these cells, and simulations of the electrical behavior of these neurons. The Allen Institute will eventually populate the database with gene expression profiles as well to help researchers better understand the circuitry of the brain.
Image: GerryShaw.