Toward connectomics

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Toward connectomics Ann-Shyn Chiang1* 1 National Tsing Hua University, Brain Research Center, Taiwan Our brains process information received from sensory neurons surveilling external and internal environmental changes. The field of neuroscience is now entering a new era in which new technologies will allow us to visualize nanoscopic neuronal connections and to monitor real-time activities of ever larger populations of neurons. At the heart of this emerging field of connectomics is the three-dimensional map of neuronal connectivity, known as the “connectome”, which is the complete description of the connections and activities between neurons in an organism’s nervous system. The significance of connectomics is equivalent to that of Google Maps: if each neuron has an address, an initial application of connectomics is to plot various routes between addresses, and then to predict the most efficient way traveling from one place to another. An atlas of brain-wide wiring networks is urgently needed for predicting pathways of information flow and guiding genetic manipulations in a neuron specific manner. Here, I will discuss challenges and strategies for reconstructing complex brain wiring maps, understanding the multitude of activities carried out by this circuitry, and how we can make sense of the mapped structural and functional connectivity using Drosophila as a model animal. I will also discuss how that knowledge will help us better understand normal function and treat disease. Keywords: sensory neurons, connectome, neural networks, neuronal connectivity, Drosophila melanogaster Conference: 14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 27 Aug - 30 Aug, 2016. Presentation Type: Plenary Lecture 3 Topic: 14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry Citation: Chiang A (2016). Toward connectomics. Conference Abstract: 14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry. doi: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2016.36.00003 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 26 Jul 2016; Published Online: 11 Aug 2016. * Correspondence: Prof. Ann-Shyn Chiang, National Tsing Hua University, Brain Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan, aschiang@life.nthu.edu.tw Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ann-Shyn Chiang Google Ann-Shyn Chiang Google Scholar Ann-Shyn Chiang PubMed Ann-Shyn Chiang Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.