BRAIN CONNECTS: Linking brain cell types to their wiring across scales using light microscopy
Official title: BRAIN CONNECTS: Light microscopy for cell-type specific mesoscale to nanoscale dense connectomics
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11390936 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant supports a large study to map brain cell types and how they connect across the whole mammalian brain using new light-m microscopy methods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Allen Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 11, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,220,652 |
| NIH project number | 5U01NS142100-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11390936 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with brain disorders may indirectly benefit as future therapies could be guided by the refined cellular and circuit maps produced.
✕Less likely to help
Direct participation is not a described patient-facing intervention; the project is primarily computational and tissue-based mapping.
What this research studies
If you have a neurological condition, this research could help us understand exactly which brain cell types are connected in healthy versus diseased states and how their wiring changes. The project will combine advanced light-m microscopy with data from electron microscopy to link molecular identity to brain circuitry. By modeling these connections at both small and large scales, researchers aim to create a more precise map of the brain’s wiring that could inform future therapies. The work builds on recent advances in dense connectomics and aims to apply them to mammalian brains, potentially accelerating discoveries relevant to brain disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A richer map of brain cell types and their connections could guide the development of targeted therapies for neurological diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Early light-microscopy connectomics approaches have shown promise in registering molecular identity with connectivity, suggesting potential for translational impact.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Macarico Da Costa, Nuno — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Macarico Da Costa, Nuno
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.