If you're interested in my process on #Flywire proofreading #Drosophila, here's my run through video. This doesn't serve as a full newbie tutorial - but should give an idea of how I go through each cell I review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSqxSgZDIbo

#CitizenScience

Recorded a half hour run through of my #Flywire process last night, working on getting it processed now.

This was an off the cuff recording, primarily designed to walk a partnered researcher through my process, but I'm open to making more videos about things in the future.

@brembs very intrigued by how can motor neurons and vision info communicate in this operant self learning! Wondering if #TransTango or #Flywire would shed some light?

Spent the past couple of hours untangling this set of #Drosophila neurons on #Flywire which had been improperly merged by the AI due to a misalignment in the EMs.

Misalignments are one reason humans are still needed to proofread connectomes - imaging is amazing, but not perfect!

Shown here are a TmY-type, a T4, and several T5s in the optic lobe.

#introduction

I go by Jay, they/she.

I am the #Editor of MMOHuts and OnRPG. I have professionally written about #VideoGames since 2008.

I am passionate about #CitizenScience - my current project is mapping the connectome of #Drosophila through #Flywire. #Biology nerd.

I am also a digital artist, but I have a separate account for that: @lithiumreflections . I also enjoy #Photography.

I do my best to be #AntiRacist. I believe in boosting voices, not replacing them.

I want to share an awesome tool that #Flywire #CitizenScience has put together. Colleague and fellow CitSci "Krzysztof_Kruk" put together a "tool" that makes identifying T4 and T5 subtypes much easier.

The link contains HS (layer 1), H1 (layer 2), and VS (layer 4) neurons. By checking the terminals of a T4/T5 neuron in relation to these, you can identify them as a,b,c,d subtypes.

Details here: https://discuss.flywire.ai/t/useful-structural-patterns-in-the-optic-lobe-inferring-microstructure-from-macrostructure/114/46?u=azurejay

You have to marvel how #Drosophila has made its own clear layering system!

@EditorSansSerif What I find amusing about the arbor morphology of this #Drosophila neuron is how much it reminds me of neurons in #Celegans!

Do you see a left-right pair of partners?

Are there more neurons within its lineage with similar morphology?

Does it target brain areas known for compact neuropils, like compartments of the protocerebral bridge?

#FlyWire

While I'm at it, let me reach out to you wonderful #drosophila folks.

We (#Flywire citizen scientists) have come across a neuron that does not fit any types we know. Several of us have looked to see if there is an error in the trace (such as a merger) but have been unable to find any. The upper portion looks like a C-type, but it begins outside the lobula plate and goes through all three optic lobe neuropils.

Discussion link: https://discuss.flywire.ai/t/what-type-of-cell-it-is/105/317?u=azurejay

Would love insight or guidance!

Today I finished proofreading and classifying the outermost layer of somas in the #drosophila lobula plate cell rind through #Flywire, mapping over 270 cells!

I've broken down my findings of cell types here: https://discuss.flywire.ai/t/gallery-of-amusements-flywire-edition/34/255?u=azurejay

I'm so thrilled to have completed this first step in mapping the outer layer of lobula plate cells - all as part of #CitizenScience!

Now it's time to go another layer deep and repeat the process. :)

Need to share this great #Flywire render video!

From the video description:

"Gorgeous DPM neurons from the brain of a fly. These innervate the mushroom body.

Coming in at a combined length of 7.7 cm and looking like an elvish crown, these cells were originally identified in FlyWire by Markus Pleijzier from Gregory Jefferis lab.
Philipp Schlegel figured out that the interesting hollow tube structure actually contains fibers from the mushroom body. "

#neuroscience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuPEPAmRFiA

Almost halfway through reviewing the neurons who have somas in this single slice from the #Flywire optic lobe data set.

I'm on the very edge of the lobula plate, working on neurons with somas outside the lobula plate. The goal is to identify (and proofread as needed) cells in this region, with a special note of T4 cells.

I also am curious to see how the different cell types are arranged in the overall structure - would love to see macro patterns emerge.

#CitizenScience

Can't AI do all the work mapping the brain?

Well, no. Although AI has come leaps and bounds over the years in being able to accurately map neurons, a human touch is necessary to analyze and look for errors the AI makes - whether it's incomplete traces due to misalignments, or massive mergers like this tangle here.

One day, we may train our AI to be fully capable of these tasks. But right now, human knowledge is power!

#Flywire #CitizenScience

Here's two of the neurons I looked at today on #Flywire while proof reading and identifying: a Medulla intrinsic 4 (Mi4), and a T4d.

These two had been fused together by the AI in the arbors, and needed to be separated by human effort! The T4d also had to be carefully constructed through several misalignments (which cause a 'break' in the 3D model).

Fun fact: there are currently only 16 citizen scientists working in Flywire!

#CitizenScience #neuroscience #drosophila

Since I mentioned Citizen Science, I would like to share a teaser of what we do on Flywire - proofreading AI-mapped models of neurons of Drosophila.

This is one of the more massive and beautiful cell types found in the fly brain, the CT1. Originating in the central brain and fanning out into the optic lobe, there are only two to be found in the fly brain - one for each hemisphere. It interfaces primarily with the medulla and lobula neuropils.

#Science #neuroscience #Flywire

Have you visited the #FlyWire website yet? Both for helping proofread and analyze the whole #Drosophila brain #connectome, or simply to admire the beautiful renderings of neuronal arbors: https://join.flywire.ai

(See also the #VirtualFlyBrain for #ontology-driven navigation of the fly brain, and access to images of genetic driver lines, and more: https://v2.virtualflybrain.org/org.geppetto.frontend/geppetto?id=VFB_00101567&i=VFB_00101567 )

Wish I had time or resources to create such a beautiful landing page for the larval central nervous system. The #connectome of the whole larval brain is coming soon. For now, see the #vEM images and some ~3,000 published neurons in this #CATMAID server: https://l1em.catmaid.virtualflybrain.org/?pid=1&zp=108250&yp=82961.59999999999&xp=54210.799999999996&tool=tracingtool&sid0=1&s0=2.4999999999999996&help=true&layout=h(XY,%20%7B%20type:%20%22neuron-search%22,%20id:%20%22neuron-search-1%22,%20options:%20%7B%22annotation-name%22:%20%22papers%22%7D%7D,%200.6)

#connectomics