November Update

In Science Scribbler: Synapse Safari, we're working together to segment mitochondria and synaptic vesicles in the hippocampus - the brain's memory and learning centre. With every click, you're helping reveal how these small structures in neurons develop, bringing us closer to understanding brain function.

Since the project launch, your enthusiasm and dedication have been overwhelming. We are grateful for every contribution. Let's take a look at what we've achieved together!

Your Impact in Numbers 💫

Your Impact in Action 🔬

Watch how your classifications filled the 3D volume in just a month!
This gif is showing your classifications for the Correct Synaptic Vesicles workflow on one of the datasets. Each point represents a subject that you’ve worked on. We showed the same image to 10 volunteers before combining your answers. The colour from orange to green shows how many volunteers have classified each subject, from just started (orange) to complete with all 10 classifications (green).

Making AI Better 🚀

We finetuned the deep learning model for segmenting mitochondria using your classifications.
Sometimes mitochondria take on unusual shapes or appear fragmented - these aren't mistakes, they might hold important clues about brain development or neurological conditions. The original model failed to identify them in the two instances below, but thanks to your contribution, our new finetuned model has learned to recognize these not-so-typical mitochondria!

From 2D to 3D 🧩

Using the new AI model trained on your classifications, we've begun assembling a complete picture of mitochondria in our datasets. We've expanded beyond the synaptic boutons you worked on to reconstruct all mitochondria throughout the neurons. Here's what they look like in 3D!

Join Us for More Discoveries 💡

This is just the beginning of our journey. As you continue to classify more structures and we process your results, the AI models will become more powerful, and our understanding of the hippocampus will become more complete and detailed. Every classification adds another piece to this complex biological puzzle!

New datasets have just been released!

• Check out Mito Spotter for:
  • 100-day-old mouse brain dataset from the distal region
• Check out Correct Synaptic Vesicles for:
  • 22-day-old mouse brain dataset from the proximal region
  • 100-day-old mouse brain dataset from the distal region

Thanks again for your continued support!

---

Week 1 Results Update

We were amazed to have received over 30,000 classifications in the first 48 hours since the launch of Science Scribbler: Synapse Safari!

As of now, all three mitochondria workflows – Mito Mapper, Mito Inspector and Correct Machine Segmentation for Mitochondria – have been completed, which means you have verified and corrected all the segmentation of mitochondria in boutons in this entire dataset!

Thank you for your incredible work so far!

---

Mito Spotter

In Mito Spotter, you looked at the synaptic boutons without machine segmented mitochondria. You confirmed that 3111 of them truly do not contain any mitochondria. What’s more exciting is that you have spotted 260 potential mitochondria that slipped past the machine learning model. Great catch! Here are some examples:

Mito Inspector

In the Mito Inspector, you looked at the synaptic boutons where the machine learning model found a mitochondrion. You verified that 394 of them are the correct segmentation, and found 40 that aren’t quite right. Here are some examples:

Correct Machine Segmentation of Mitochondria

In this workflow, you corrected the machine mitochondria segmentations that don’t look quite right. Multiple people worked on the same images, and we have aggregated the results. We know how difficult it is to accurately draw on your computer, but collectively, you have done an amazing job! Here are some examples:

Next Steps

Synaptic vesicles

Correct Synaptic Vesicles is still active and is in need of your help! These small structures play a key role in how neurons communicate. By accurately segmenting them, we can know their numbers and distribution, as well as how they interact with mitochondria in hippocampal neurons.

What do we do with your classification results

Your classifications bring us closer to obtaining an accurate full segmentation of mitochondria in synaptic boutons. Here’s what we will do with the results from each workflow:

• Mito Inspector: the subjects with incorrect segmentation will be uploaded to the Correct Mitochondria workflow, so you can edit the outlines and make them right
• Correct Mitochondria: the outlines you drew will be aggregated to find a consensus, then used to finetune the machine learning model
• Mito Spotter: after finetuning the machine learning model, we will use it on the subjects with missed mitochondria
  Here’s a flowchart that describes this process!

New datasets coming!

The dataset you have just finished was taken from the most distal part of the dendritic branches of CA1 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus of a young mouse (22 days old). We know these neurons are important both for the formation of memories, as well as working as an internal GPS system. We will be uploading three new datasets soon:

1. proximal region (closer to central region) of 22-day-old mouse
2. distal region of 100-day-old mouse
3. proximal region of 100-day-old mouse

Our previous research has shown that the proximal and distal regions of CA1 pyramidal neurone are specialised for different jobs. These new datasets will enable us to better understand if mitochondria and synaptic vesicles help with this separation of functions, and how they change as the neurons mature. We would greatly appreciate your help in segmenting mitochondria and synaptic vesicles in these new datasets!