Search

Scientists Release an Astounding, Detailed Map of a Fly Brain in Groundbreaking Study

05 Oct, 2024

This post was originally published on Colossal

More than a decade before humans launched themselves into outer space, a tiny species made the journey first.

NASA first sent fruit flies on a mission in 1947 to see whether the intrepid insects would return to Earth in one piece, indicating the groundbreaking trek was presumably safe for people, too. If flies seem like an odd choice for such a dangerous test, know that they share about 60 percent of our genetic code, making our species relatively similar for research.

Fruit flies, for example, age like us, get a little tipsy or hyper from beverages with alcohol or caffeine, and even serenade potential mates (hopefully this move is less cringy in insect romance).

Because our makeups have so many parallels, a new study released this week exploring how 140,000 neurons connect in the fruit fly brain could have wide-reaching implications.

Hundreds of scientists have been working since 2013 to map the intricacies of the neural networks in an adult female Drosophila melanogaster, which connect through 490 feet of wiring. The research, published in Nature, is accompanied by incredible reconstructions of the brain that illustrate how its myriad cells connect. The study is the most detailed map of an animal’s brain in existence.

“The potential benefits of such a resource are immense,” researchers say. “We can now make significant advances in our understanding of how the brain works by ultimately linking neuronal wiring with brain function.”

Scientists published many of the diagrams and interactive 3D models through FlyWire, the first-ever complete connectome of the adult fly brain in its entirety. They identified and annotated more than 8,000 cell types, 4,581 of which are new to researchers. In comparison, 3,300 cell types have been identified in humans, although what each does is still a mystery.

Included in the study are insights into how sensory signals communicate, prompting flies to walk, stop, or stick out their proboscises to eat. Although humans are 500 times larger than a fruit fly with a million times as many neurons, this research is an extraordinary leap forward in understanding how our brains function.

a model of a fly brain
a model of a fly brain
50 largest neurons of the fly brain connectome
a model of a fly brain
Detail of the 50 largest neurons of the fly brain connectome
a model of a fly brain
APL Neurons of the mushroon body. With a combined length of 13 cm, this spectacular pair of cells is the longest in the fly brain and if laid end to end would be 43 times longer than the entire fly. Identified by Zhihao Zheng and proofread through over 3,000 edits by Jefferis, Murthy, Seung Labs. Rendered by Amy Sterling for FlyWire.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Scientists Release an Astounding, Detailed Map of a Fly Brain in Groundbreaking Study appeared first on Colossal.

Pass over the stars to rate this post. Your opinion is always welcome.
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

You may also like…

Bee Hotels Can Help Native Pollinators Recover in the Wake of Climate-Fueled Wildfires: Study

Bee Hotels Can Help Native Pollinators Recover in the Wake of Climate-Fueled Wildfires: Study

Wild pollinator populations are declining all over the world, with increasingly severe climate change-fueled wildfires threatening their survival. These intense wildfires are also putting long-term ecosystem health and biodiversity at risk. Bee hotels are artificial nesting structures that have been specially designed to house cavity-nesting species. Often placed in backyards or gardens, they provide safe […]
The post Bee Hotels Can Help Native Pollinators Recover in the Wake of Climate-Fueled Wildfires: Study appeared first on EcoWatch.

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB has gained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) status for its Gearless Mill Drive (GMD) ring motor — technology used to drive large grinding mills in the mining industry.

An EPD is a standardised document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, the EPD highlights ABB’s commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility and supporting customers in making informed decisions on sustainability in their supply chains.

ABB analysed the environmental impact of a ring motor across its entire life cycle from supply chain and production to usage and end-of-life disposal. The study was conducted for a ring motor of a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill with an installed power of 24 MW and was based on a reference service life of 25 years.

“Sustainability is at the core of our purpose at ABB, influencing how we operate and innovate for customers,” said Andrea Quinta, Sustainability Specialist at ABB. “By earning the Environmental Product Declaration for our ring motor, we emphasise our environmental stewardship and industry leadership for this technology. We adhered to the highest standards throughout this process, as we do in the ABB Ring Motor factory every day. This recognition highlights to the mining industry what they are bringing into their own operations when they work with ABB.”

The comprehensive LCA was conducted at ABB’s factory in Bilbao, Spain, and was externally verified and published in accordance with international standards ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044. It will remain valid for five years.

The ring motor, a key component of the GMD, is a drive system without any gears where the transmission of the torque between the motor and the mill is done through the magnetic field in the air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor. It optimises grinding applications in the minerals and mining industries by enabling variable-speed operation, leading to energy and cost savings.

The full EPD for the ABB GMD Ring Motor can be viewed on EPD International.

0 Comments