Allen Institute neuroscientist Lauren Alfiler is an expert in shapes. She’s part of the morphology team, the group of researchers that captures the intricate details of individual neurons. Alfiler and her colleagues take close-up microscopy images generated by another team and use specialized software to trace each neuron’s shape in 3D. Some of the cells meandering, branched tendrils make up the neuron’s axon (in image: red), the transmitter these brain cells use to send signals to other neurons, while the other filaments are the cell’s dendrites (in image: blue), which receive signals. Variance in the shape, direction, and area of these branches are important cell type descriptor and a proxy for connectivity.

Alfiler spotted a heart shape in one cell’s axon during her tracing work recently; this neuron is from the nucleus accumbens of Saimiri sciureus, a type of squirrel monkey. That region is still poorly understood but is thought to play a role in how we react to rewards and unpleasant experiences.

If you would like to reconstruct your own neuron, either as a student or a professional, check out our morphology’s team website that includes free lesson plans, free reconstruction software with protocols, an analysis toolkit, and more.

Microscopic viewpoints, computer-generated models, intricate tracings and more — see a new side of science with SciShots.