AI Tool QDyeFinder Assists in Mapping the Brain Neuron Atlas

Kyushu University has developed QDyeFinder, an AI tool designed to map the neural circuitry of the brain. This tool uses seven colors to label neurons and employs machine learning to automatically identify and reconstruct neuron structures.

The brain is complex, consisting of hundreds of billions of neurons, each connected to others via axons and dendrites. These structures are extremely fine, measuring only one micrometer thick, which is a hundred times thinner than a human hair.

Traditional methods involve using fluorescent proteins to mark neurons and tracing colors to reconstruct neuron structures. However, these methods are limited by the number of colors available and require manual tracing, which is inefficient.

QDyeFinder addresses these issues. It automatically identifies segments of axons and dendrites, groups them using color information, and identifies parts of the same neuron. Results show that its accuracy is comparable to, or even better than, manual tracing.

The research team hopes that QDyeFinder will advance the mapping of brain connectivity and explore its applications in other cell types such as cancer cells and immune cells.

Professor Takeshi Imai concludes that this work is an important step towards understanding the complexity of the brain, although a complete understanding may still take time.