Drosophila

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a model organism that is widely used in neuroscience research. It has a small brain, which makes it easier to study than the brains of larger animals. Nevertheless, fruit flies’ brain architecture is able to form memories, learn, and engage in complex social behavior. Hence findings from studies in fruit flies' brains can often be applied to other animals, including humans.

Connectome

A Connectome is a neuronal wiring diagram - map of all the connections between neurons in a brain. Having a full brain connectome of Drosophila is a valuable resource for neuroscientists. It enables studying the structure and function of the fruit fly brain in unprecedented detail, potentially leading to new insights into how the brain works and how it is affected by disease.

Reconstructing the connectome

The FlyWire connectome was generated using a combination of automated image analysis and human proofreading. First, a team of researchers used electron microscopy to image a complete adult fly brain (FAFB). The resulting images were then aligned and segmented using AI and other algorithms. This resulted in a preliminary connectome, that was then proofread by a community of scientists and citizen scientists using the FlyWire proofreading platform. The platform allows users to view and edit the connectome, and to provide annotations about the neurons and synapses. This process helped to improve the accuracy of the connectome, and to identify new features that were not visible in the original images.

Significance

Here are some specific ways a full brain connectome of Drosophila can be utilized:

• Identify and map the different types of neurons in the brain
• Study how neurons are connected to each other and how these connections enable information processing and learning
• Predict how the brain responds to different stimuli, such as lights, sounds, or smells