Scientists turn mouse’s body transparent to study nervous system–Human brain next?

figure d

The technique developed by Ali Ertรผrk of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany and his team also shrinks the body to around a third of its original size, making it possible to view the whole animal under a microscope.

โ€œWe imaged the complete central nervous system of mice, and you can track individual cells several centimetres long that reach from the brain right through to the tip of the spinal cord,โ€ he says.

The green colour…comes from genetically engineering the mice to contain a green fluorescent protein.

โ€œIt might be possible with larger animals, such as small monkeys, and possibly a whole human brain for the first time in the near future,โ€ says Ertรผrk.ย ย The hope is that comparing the connectome of a healthy person with those of people with disorders like Alzheimerโ€™s disease, multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia, could help us understand exactly how these conditions affect the brain.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post:ย Mouseโ€™s body made entirely transparent to reveal nervous system

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosateโ€”the world's most heavily-used herbicideโ€”pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Screenshot 2025-07-30 at 10.48
Can gene editing eliminate Down syndrome? Scientists have done it in lab-grown cells
ChatGPT Image May 26, 2026, 08_42_17 AM (1)
Viewpoint: Greenpeace and poison: How environmental advocacy groups rely on compliant (and often ignorant) journalists to spread disinformation and spark litigation
Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-1.36.28-PM
Viewpoint: Can mRNA research survive the Trump administration?
ChatGPT Image May 26, 2026, 08_21_36 AM
Limiting gender affirming interventions: Trump administration targets Texas even though it already bans youth access
Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-1.24.46-PM
Challenging anti-GMO disinformation: Why genetically-tweaked crops offer bushels of benefits
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-2-2026-03_04_17-PM
Viewpoint: Why the hyper-promoted doping โ€˜enhanced gamesโ€™ pseudo Olympics flopped
ChatGPT-Image-May-26-2026-07_51_21-AM-2
Viewpoint: There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffeeโ€”including many substances that can cause cancer. Why isnโ€™t it banned?
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-3-2026-12_33_40-PM-2-1
Viewpointโ€”The end of โ€˜ivory tower scienceโ€™: What does that even mean, and what comes next
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-2-2026-11_39_58-AM
Viewpoint: Who is RFK, Jr.โ€™s newly-appointed CDC senior counselor, Sara Brenner โ€” Vaccine skeptic and self-proclaimed โ€œMAHA momโ€
Picture1
Sounds we canโ€™t hear โ€” the hidden planetary signals behind science, fear, and misinformation
tick-DNA
GLP podcast: Spread meat allergy with gene-edited ticks? Bioethicists pose vile โ€˜thought experimentโ€™
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpointโ€”โ€œMiracle moleculeโ€ debunked: Why acemannan supplements donโ€™t work
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.