Whole Brain Catalog

The Whole Brain Catalog allows users to explore a visualisation of the mouse brain. Describing itself as "a ground-breaking, open-source, 3-D virtual environment," which "aims to connect members of the international neuroscience community," the Whole Brain Catalog aims to deal with issues arising in brain research "through cooperation and crowd sourcing." 

The Whole Brain Catalog, which takes its name from the Whole Earth Catalog, the influential publication founded in the 1960s by Stewart Brand, is the work of researchers at the University of California, San Diego. It forms a part of the Whole Brain Project, which aims to use modern technological tools to allow researchers to explore the mouse brain in great detail, right down to the molecular level. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO 

As well as being an invaluable resource for researchers, the Whole Brain Catalog also offers the interested lay person a fascinating insight into modern neuroscience. The searchable database, which combines data sets from laboratories from all over the world, allows users to examine brain tissue that has been affected by specific diseases.  

26 January 2011