Neuroscience breakthrough: Entire brain of adult fruit fly mapped

First Full Brain Map of an Adult Fruit Fly: Researchers developed the first neuron-by-neuron and synapse-by-synapse map of the adult fruit fly brain, marking a major milestone in neuroscience.

Complexity of the Fruit Fly Brain: The adult fruit fly brain contains nearly 140,000 neurons and 50 million synapses, making it significantly more complex than previously mapped species like the C. elegans worm and larval fruit flies.

Significance for Human Brain Research: Fruit flies share 60% of human DNA, and many human genetic diseases have parallels in fruit flies, making this research a steppingstone toward understanding the human brain.

Collaboration and AI Technology: The map was created through a global effort by the FlyWire Consortium and advances in AI, which allowed researchers to generate a three-dimensional brain atlas from millions of images.

Potential for Brain Disease Treatment: This brain map will help researchers understand neuron connections and behaviors, potentially leading to better treatments for brain diseases.