What research areas does the Allen Institute for Brain Science cover?

Updated

The Allen Institute for Brain Science organizes its work around seven research focus areas: Anatomy, Cell Types & Taxonomies, Circuits & Behavior, Connectivity, Computational Modeling & Theory, Gene Expression, and Genetic Tools. Each area pairs large-scale datasets with related publications, and the institute's stated goal is to understand the brain's complexity by characterizing and mapping brain cells "with unprecedented precision and scale." If you want to know what data or tools exist for a given brain topic, this list is the fastest way to find the right entry point.

The seven research focus areas

Research area What it covers What you can access
Anatomy Reference atlases providing standard anatomical spaces across species and development High-resolution neuroanatomical atlases
Cell Types & Taxonomies Data-driven classifications of cell types in the mammalian brain Classifications and key publications
Circuits & Behavior Neuronal circuitry revealed through the Allen Brain Observatory Data and publications
Connectivity How the brain is wired, at multiple scales Multiscale datasets and publications
Computational Modeling & Theory Brain-wide, circuit-level, and cell-level biophysical models Modeling tools and publications
Gene Expression Gene expression viewed through Allen Brain Atlas datasets Highlights, insights, and publications
Genetic Tools Biological and technical resources created by the institute Information on available resources

Two additional resource categories sit alongside the research areas: Computational Tools (analysis tools built by institute scientists) and Hardware (custom instrument designs for a range of scientific use cases).

Anatomy atlases: the most widely cited resources

The anatomy atlases are described as among the institute's most widely cited resources, offering data-driven, high-resolution maps of the mammalian brain. Five atlases are listed:

  • Adult Mouse — coronal and sagittal planes of section
  • Adult Human — using modified Brodmann or gyral annotation
  • Developing Mouse — seven stages of embryonic and postnatal development
  • Developing Human — two embryonic stages
  • Mouse Spinal Cord — adult and juvenile C57BL/6J mouse

How the areas fit together

The institute describes its approach as examining brain cell types and connections across species at a refined level and at the most comprehensive scale. That cross-species, multiscale framing is what connects the areas: anatomy atlases provide the standard reference spaces, cell type and gene expression work populate them with biological detail, connectivity and circuits data describe how the parts interact, and computational modeling turns the accumulated data into testable models.

Where to start

  • If you need a reference space to register or compare data, start with the Anatomy atlases.
  • If you're looking for cell classifications, go to Cell Types & Taxonomies.
  • If you want functional or wiring data, look at Circuits & Behavior and Connectivity.
  • If you need analysis software or instrument designs, check Computational Tools and Hardware.

The Brain Knowledge Platform is described as the knowledge-centered scientific workbench that ties this work together.