49 research outputs found
A multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex
ABSTRACT We report the generation of a multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex (MOp or M1) as the initial product of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN). This was achieved by coordinated large-scale analyses of single-cell transcriptomes, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylomes, spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomes, morphological and electrophysiological properties, and cellular resolution input-output mapping, integrated through cross-modal computational analysis. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge and understanding of brain cell type organization: First, our study reveals a unified molecular genetic landscape of cortical cell types that congruently integrates their transcriptome, open chromatin and DNA methylation maps. Second, cross-species analysis achieves a unified taxonomy of transcriptomic types and their hierarchical organization that are conserved from mouse to marmoset and human. Third, cross-modal analysis provides compelling evidence for the epigenomic, transcriptomic, and gene regulatory basis of neuronal phenotypes such as their physiological and anatomical properties, demonstrating the biological validity and genomic underpinning of neuron types and subtypes. Fourth, in situ single-cell transcriptomics provides a spatially-resolved cell type atlas of the motor cortex. Fifth, integrated transcriptomic, epigenomic and anatomical analyses reveal the correspondence between neural circuits and transcriptomic cell types. We further present an extensive genetic toolset for targeting and fate mapping glutamatergic projection neuron types toward linking their developmental trajectory to their circuit function. Together, our results establish a unified and mechanistic framework of neuronal cell type organization that integrates multi-layered molecular genetic and spatial information with multi-faceted phenotypic properties
A KapitzaâDiracâTalbotâLau interferometer for highly polarizable molecules
Research on matter waves is a thriving field of quantum physics and has
recently stimulated many investigations with electrons, neutrons, atoms,
Bose-condensed ensembles, cold clusters and hot molecules. Coherence
experiments with complex objects are of interest for exploring the transition
to classical physics, for measuring molecular properties and they have even
been proposed for testing new models of space-time. For matter-wave experiments
with complex molecules, the strongly dispersive effect of the interaction
between the diffracted molecule and the grating wall is a major challenge
because it imposes enormous constraints on the velocity selection of the
molecular beam. We here describe the first experimental realization of a new
interferometer that solves this problem by combining the advantages of a
Talbot-Lau setup with the benefits of an optical phase grating and we show
quantum interference with new large molecules.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure