Mouse Whole-Brain Volume Electron Microscopy for Cellular Connectomics

Recent advances in high-throughput multi-beam scanning electron microscopy (EM) and mouse whole-brain EM preparation and collection on tape (“Brain-on-Tape”) have resulted in substantial progress towards a nano-scale map of the whole mouse brain. These maps can be used to determine how individual neurons are synaptically connected and can be used to reconstruct the precise “wiring diagram” of the whole mouse brain. We discuss the methods, recent results and remaining challenges. The ZEISS MultiSEM family features 61 or even 91 electron beams scanning in parallel, resulting in unprecedented imaging speed. This finally enables extremely large-scale electron microscopy projects such as the mapping of the brain’s neural networks at high resolution. This talk will outline the operation principle of the technology and give an overview of ongoing further application developments.