Connectomics: New methods for the dense reconstruction of neuronal circuits. [Connectomics: Neue Methoden zur dichten Rekonstruktion neuronaler Schaltkreise]

The nervous system is characterized by extremely complex cell-to-cell interactions which primarily occur via chemical synapses. Mapping the structure of these intercellular networks is one of the major challenges in Neuroscience. The new field of Connectomics which has been formed over the last years aims at the dense reconstruction of increasingly comprehensive nerve cell networks. Automated volume electron microscopy techniques are employed for image acquisition. A major obstacle, however, is data reconstruction, for which unusual solutions such as mass reconstruction by crowd sourcing and online computer games are currently pursued