Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Optimism for abundant whole-brain connectomes and connectomic screening.

Nature methods·2025
Same author

RoboEM: automated 3D flight tracing for synaptic-resolution connectomics.

Nature methods·2024
Same author

High-contrast en bloc staining of mouse whole-brain and human brain samples for EM-based connectomics.

Nature methods·2023
Same author

Connectomic comparison of mouse and human cortex.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2022
Same author

Neuropathic pain caused by miswiring and abnormal end organ targeting.

Nature·2022
Same author

Cellular connectomes as arbiters of local circuit models in the cerebral cortex.

Nature communications·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Large-Scale Neural Dynamics Through HD-MEA Technology
09:44

Author Spotlight: Advancing Large-Scale Neural Dynamics Through HD-MEA Technology

Published on: March 8, 2024

5.7K

Synaptic-resolution connectomics: towards large brains and connectomic screening.

Moritz Helmstaedter1

  • 1Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany. mh@brain.mpg.de.

Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|December 7, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Advances in synaptic-resolution connectomics have expanded mapping capabilities by 1,000-fold. This enables studying complex brain circuits and their role in behavior and disease.

More Related Videos

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol
10:14

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol

Published on: May 12, 2019

7.6K
Serial Two-Photon Tomography of the Whole Marmoset Brain for Neuroanatomical Analyses
04:02

Serial Two-Photon Tomography of the Whole Marmoset Brain for Neuroanatomical Analyses

Published on: January 17, 2025

973

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Large-Scale Neural Dynamics Through HD-MEA Technology
09:44

Author Spotlight: Advancing Large-Scale Neural Dynamics Through HD-MEA Technology

Published on: March 8, 2024

5.7K
3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol
10:14

3D Scanning Technology Bridging Microcircuits and Macroscale Brain Images in 3D Novel Embedding Overlapping Protocol

Published on: May 12, 2019

7.6K
Serial Two-Photon Tomography of the Whole Marmoset Brain for Neuroanatomical Analyses
04:02

Serial Two-Photon Tomography of the Whole Marmoset Brain for Neuroanatomical Analyses

Published on: January 17, 2025

973

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Neuronal circuits are crucial for adaptation and environmental interaction.
  • Synaptic-resolution connectomics aims to map these circuits across species.
  • Significant progress has been made in mapping neuronal circuits at synaptic resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review methodological innovations in synaptic-resolution connectomics.
  • To discuss challenges and future targets in mapping neuronal circuits.
  • To highlight the potential of connectomic screening for understanding brain function and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Large-scale 3D electron microscopy for imaging neural tissue.
  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence for 3D image analysis.
  • Innovations in brain tissue preparation, ablation, and sectioning.

Main Results:

  • Connectomically accessible volumes at synaptic resolution have increased 1,000-fold (100 µm³ to 1 mm³).
  • The field can now analyze local neuropil in mice, including cortical grey matter.
  • Mapping of larger circuits and whole-brain connectomes is becoming feasible.

Conclusions:

  • Methodological advances are driving connectomics research forward.
  • Future research will focus on mapping larger and more complex brain circuits.
  • Connectomic screening holds promise for studying behavior, evolution, and neurological disorders.