Neuron
Volume 96, Issue 3, 1 November 2017, Pages 542-557
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The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Consortium: Lessons Learned toward Generating a Comprehensive Brain Cell Atlas

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.10.007Get rights and content
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A comprehensive characterization of neuronal cell types, their distributions, and patterns of connectivity is critical for understanding the properties of neural circuits and how they generate behaviors. Here we review the experiences of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Consortium, ten pilot projects funded by the U.S. BRAIN Initiative, in developing, validating, and scaling up emerging genomic and anatomical mapping technologies for creating a complete inventory of neuronal cell types and their connections in multiple species and during development. These projects lay the foundation for a larger and longer-term effort to generate whole-brain cell atlases in species including mice and humans.

Keywords

BRAIN initiative
mouse brain
human brain
cell census
single-cell RNA-seq
single-cell transcriptomics
single-cell epigenomics
connectivity
electrophysiology
anatomy

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