title: Seeing circuits assemble.
abstract: Developmental neurobiology has been greatly invigorated by a recent string of breakthroughs in molecular biology and optical physics that permit direct in vivo observation of neural circuit assembly. The imaging done thus far suggests that as brains are built, a significant amount of unbuilding is also occurring. We offer the view that this tumult is the result of the intersecting behaviors of the many single-celled creatures (i.e., neurons, glia, and progenitors) that inhabit brains. New tools will certainly be needed if we wish to monitor the myriad cooperative and competitive interactions at play in the cellular society that builds brains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Jeff W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lichtman
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins