October 1, 2006

1 min read

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Brain Atlas Released

By Mark Fischetti

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The Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle has completed a three-dimensional, Web-based atlas of the mouse brain that details the expression of its 21,000 genes. The enormous database at www.brain-map.org can be freely accessed by the public. A sample image (above) shows the presence of a gene, Emp 1, in the left hemisphere. Each yellow sphere represents expression of the gene; larger spheres correspond to greater expression density. The institute notes that 90 percent of mouse genes have a direct human counterpart and that the data could therefore provide insights into how the human brain works and how illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and epilepsy compromise it. Scientists plan to start compiling a similar database for the human cortex, which is central to higher-order thinking.

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Mark Fischetti was a senior editor at Scientific American for nearly 20 years and covered sustainability issues, including climate, environment, energy, and more. He assigned and edited feature articles and news by journalists and scientists and also wrote in those formats. He was founding managing editor of two spin-off magazines: Scientific American Mind and Scientific American Earth 3.0. His 2001 article “Drowning New Orleans” predicted the widespread disaster that a storm like Hurricane Katrina would impose on the city. Fischetti has written as a freelancer for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian and many other outlets. He co-authored the book Weaving the Web with Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, which tells the real story of how the Web was created. He also co-authored The New Killer Diseases with microbiologist Elinor Levy. Fischetti has a physics degree and has twice served as Attaway Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College of Louisiana, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2021 he received the American Geophysical Union’s Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism. He has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN, the History Channel, NPR News and many radio stations.

More by Mark Fischetti
SA Mind Vol 17 Issue 5This article was published with the title “Brain Atlas Released” in SA Mind Vol. 17 No. 5 (), p. 9
doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind1006-9a
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