RNA barcoding maps neural connections with unprecedented resolution

By tagging neurons with molecular "barcodes," researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution.

The approach could expand understanding not only of the layout of elaborate networks in the brain, but also how the brain functions, what happens when there is dysfunction and how neurodegenerative diseases progress.

When engineering a computer, you need to know the circuitry of the central processing unit. If you don't know how everything is wired together, you can't understand its function, optimize it or fix it when something breaks. We are approaching the brain the same way."

"Our technology enables simultaneous mapping of thousands of neural connections with single-synapse resolution - a capability that doesn't exist in any current technology. It is directly applicable to understanding circuit dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases and could provide a platform for developing circuit-guided therapeutic interventions," he said.