Ben S. Huang
@ben-s-huang.bsky.social
Explorer of the Black Box
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Neuroscientists around the world use Brain Map to accelerate their research.
🧠📈 Explore the massive, free library of datasets, protocols, computational tools, and more at portal.brain-map.org
#OpenScienceWeek
🧠📈 Explore the massive, free library of datasets, protocols, computational tools, and more at portal.brain-map.org
#OpenScienceWeek
September 15, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Neuroscientists around the world use Brain Map to accelerate their research.
🧠📈 Explore the massive, free library of datasets, protocols, computational tools, and more at portal.brain-map.org
#OpenScienceWeek
🧠📈 Explore the massive, free library of datasets, protocols, computational tools, and more at portal.brain-map.org
#OpenScienceWeek
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
An in-depth perspective piece discussing the transformative impact of AI coding tools in neuroscience research, featuring my work on SpikeAgent and AI interfaces for neural data analysis. @zuwan-lin.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/craft-and-ca...
www.thetransmitter.org/craft-and-ca...
Should neuroscientists ‘vibe code’?
Researchers are developing software entirely through natural language conversations with advanced large language models. The trend is transforming how research gets done—but it also presents new…
www.thetransmitter.org
September 10, 2025 at 8:58 AM
An in-depth perspective piece discussing the transformative impact of AI coding tools in neuroscience research, featuring my work on SpikeAgent and AI interfaces for neural data analysis. @zuwan-lin.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/craft-and-ca...
www.thetransmitter.org/craft-and-ca...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Dear bluesky neuroscientists: You should pay attention to the field of LLM mechanistic interpretability.
Not because LLMs are like real brains (they are absolutely nothing alike), but because mech interp analysis methods would be useful in neuroscience.
Start learning here: tinyurl.com/48pum4pb
Not because LLMs are like real brains (they are absolutely nothing alike), but because mech interp analysis methods would be useful in neuroscience.
Start learning here: tinyurl.com/48pum4pb
LLM breakdown 1/6: Tokenization (words to integers)
Large language models can't read; instead, they are given numbers that come from text.
mikexcohen.substack.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Dear bluesky neuroscientists: You should pay attention to the field of LLM mechanistic interpretability.
Not because LLMs are like real brains (they are absolutely nothing alike), but because mech interp analysis methods would be useful in neuroscience.
Start learning here: tinyurl.com/48pum4pb
Not because LLMs are like real brains (they are absolutely nothing alike), but because mech interp analysis methods would be useful in neuroscience.
Start learning here: tinyurl.com/48pum4pb
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Spatially distributed and regionally unbound cellular resolution brain-wide processing loops in mice
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀?
Dynamical processing winding through most brain regions.
Looks like a must read.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Spatially distributed and regionally unbound cellular resolution brain-wide processing loops in mice
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀?
Dynamical processing winding through most brain regions.
Looks like a must read.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Spatially distributed and regionally unbound cellular resolution brain-wide processing loops in mice
Until recently, it has been possible to examine activity in the brain globally through regional averaging or locally at cellular resolution. These studies characterized regions as functionally homogen...
www.biorxiv.org
September 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Spatially distributed and regionally unbound cellular resolution brain-wide processing loops in mice
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀?
Dynamical processing winding through most brain regions.
Looks like a must read.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Spatially distributed and regionally unbound cellular resolution brain-wide processing loops in mice
𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀?
Dynamical processing winding through most brain regions.
Looks like a must read.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Science is a team effort, and the @alleninstitute.org has put in a lot of effort! They screened thousands of AAV enhancers to find the best and brightest, culminating in the AAV Enhancer Collection at Addgene. Learn more about all of the details in our newest blog post!
blog.addgene.org
"Hall of Fame" AAV Enhancers from the Allen Institute for Brain Science
twp.ai
September 9, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Science is a team effort, and the @alleninstitute.org has put in a lot of effort! They screened thousands of AAV enhancers to find the best and brightest, culminating in the AAV Enhancer Collection at Addgene. Learn more about all of the details in our newest blog post!
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
You're in research because you want to advance science, share your results with others, grow in your career & connect with the community.
Here are 7 reasons why posting preprints on bioRxiv & medRxiv can help you meet those goals. 💚
#OpenScience #Preprints #ScienceCommunication #bioRxiv #medRxiv
Here are 7 reasons why posting preprints on bioRxiv & medRxiv can help you meet those goals. 💚
#OpenScience #Preprints #ScienceCommunication #bioRxiv #medRxiv
July 29, 2025 at 10:40 PM
You're in research because you want to advance science, share your results with others, grow in your career & connect with the community.
Here are 7 reasons why posting preprints on bioRxiv & medRxiv can help you meet those goals. 💚
#OpenScience #Preprints #ScienceCommunication #bioRxiv #medRxiv
Here are 7 reasons why posting preprints on bioRxiv & medRxiv can help you meet those goals. 💚
#OpenScience #Preprints #ScienceCommunication #bioRxiv #medRxiv
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
I wrote a Comment on neurotheory, and now you can read it!
Some thoughts on where neurotheory has and has not taken root within the neuroscience community, how it has shaped those subfields, and where we theorists might look next for fresh adventures.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Some thoughts on where neurotheory has and has not taken root within the neuroscience community, how it has shaped those subfields, and where we theorists might look next for fresh adventures.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Theoretical neuroscience has room to grow
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - The goal of theoretical neuroscience is to uncover principles of neural computation through careful design and interpretation of mathematical models. Here, I examine...
www.nature.com
August 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I wrote a Comment on neurotheory, and now you can read it!
Some thoughts on where neurotheory has and has not taken root within the neuroscience community, how it has shaped those subfields, and where we theorists might look next for fresh adventures.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Some thoughts on where neurotheory has and has not taken root within the neuroscience community, how it has shaped those subfields, and where we theorists might look next for fresh adventures.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Thrilled to share our new study showing microglia prune astrocyte processes in adult brain, to regulate synaptic transmission, hypothalamic neuron activity, and salt-induced hypertension in🐀. Huge team effort - congratulations to all🥂🍾🎉
August 19, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Thrilled to share our new study showing microglia prune astrocyte processes in adult brain, to regulate synaptic transmission, hypothalamic neuron activity, and salt-induced hypertension in🐀. Huge team effort - congratulations to all🥂🍾🎉
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
This is an airyscan confocal movie of mitochondria (white) moving around in a mouse astrocyte. Actin filaments are in orange and microtubules are in blue.
August 18, 2025 at 1:39 AM
This is an airyscan confocal movie of mitochondria (white) moving around in a mouse astrocyte. Actin filaments are in orange and microtubules are in blue.
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...
FlyBase:Contribute to FlyBase - FlyBase Wiki
wiki.flybase.org
August 15, 2025 at 12:45 PM
FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
VIVIT: Resolving trans-scale volumetric biological architectures via ionic glassy tissue @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
August 12, 2025 at 2:40 PM
VIVIT: Resolving trans-scale volumetric biological architectures via ionic glassy tissue @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Let’s do this www.universityofcalifornia.edu/get-involved...
Stand Up for UC
We must stand together to protect our students, staff, faculty and our mission.
www.universityofcalifornia.edu
August 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Let’s do this www.universityofcalifornia.edu/get-involved...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
New electron microscopy study in @nature.com Neuroscience finds that layer 5 ET neurons mostly connect to inhibitory cells locally, esp. those suppressing other excitatory cells, suggesting a "winner-take-all" system.
🧠📈 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧠📈 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The synaptic architecture of layer 5 thick tufted excitatory neurons in mouse visual cortex - Nature Neuroscience
This study maps the connections of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse cortex, revealing distinct local and intercortical wiring patterns, and provides an open framework for exploring the connectiv...
www.nature.com
July 28, 2025 at 6:23 PM
New electron microscopy study in @nature.com Neuroscience finds that layer 5 ET neurons mostly connect to inhibitory cells locally, esp. those suppressing other excitatory cells, suggesting a "winner-take-all" system.
🧠📈 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧠📈 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
A big day for preventing mitochondrial diseases from transmitting to the next generation
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
July 17, 2025 at 1:25 AM
A big day for preventing mitochondrial diseases from transmitting to the next generation
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Your sleep pressure is powered by your mitochondria! Sleep, energy, and ageing are all connected through mitochondrial bioenergetics in neurons. Brilliant work from Gero Miesenböck’s lab, just out in Nature @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 16, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Your sleep pressure is powered by your mitochondria! Sleep, energy, and ageing are all connected through mitochondrial bioenergetics in neurons. Brilliant work from Gero Miesenböck’s lab, just out in Nature @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
The complete Cosmos series by Carl Sagan is now available at the Internet Archive.
archive.org/details/Cosm...
h/t @osman@hachyderm.io for spotting this.
@archive.org #cosmology #astronomy #science
archive.org/details/Cosm...
h/t @osman@hachyderm.io for spotting this.
@archive.org #cosmology #astronomy #science
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (with Carl Sagan) : KCET : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Update 6/29/23: Ok, I am pretty sure all the episodes are now accounted for and labeled correctly.Astronomer Carl Sagan's landmark 13-part science series takes...
archive.org
June 25, 2025 at 12:49 AM
The complete Cosmos series by Carl Sagan is now available at the Internet Archive.
archive.org/details/Cosm...
h/t @osman@hachyderm.io for spotting this.
@archive.org #cosmology #astronomy #science
archive.org/details/Cosm...
h/t @osman@hachyderm.io for spotting this.
@archive.org #cosmology #astronomy #science
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
A few weeks ago, I talked to @neildegrassetyson.com on his StarTalk Radio about our efforts to understand human brain disorders with stem cell models including #assembloids. We touched on the promise of these technologies, the challenges & the mission behind the work
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEBj...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEBj...
Groundbreaking Studies Recreate Human Brain Circuits in a Dish
YouTube video by StarTalk
www.youtube.com
June 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
A few weeks ago, I talked to @neildegrassetyson.com on his StarTalk Radio about our efforts to understand human brain disorders with stem cell models including #assembloids. We touched on the promise of these technologies, the challenges & the mission behind the work
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEBj...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEBj...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Today I learned the @amnh.org is pay-what-you-wish for NY residents, making it easy to dip in for a quick visit with my new pal Apex Stegosaurus 😍
June 27, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Today I learned the @amnh.org is pay-what-you-wish for NY residents, making it easy to dip in for a quick visit with my new pal Apex Stegosaurus 😍
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
The dynamics and geometry of choice in the premotor cortex 🧠
Nature 2025
#neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nature 2025
#neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The dynamics and geometry of choice in the premotor cortex - Nature
A population code for the dynamics of choice formation in the primate premotor cortex is revealed, with diverse single-neuron tuning to a shared decision variable.
www.nature.com
July 2, 2025 at 8:49 AM
The dynamics and geometry of choice in the premotor cortex 🧠
Nature 2025
#neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nature 2025
#neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
CryoRhodopsins: A comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
CryoRhodopsins: A comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments
Spectroscopy, structural, and functional study of microbial rhodopsins with characteristic long-living near–UV-absorbing state.
www.science.org
July 5, 2025 at 7:58 PM
CryoRhodopsins: A comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Your brain learns for you even when you're not actively learning. Maybe. (in mice).
🚶Aimlessly wandering around a city or exploring the new mall may seem unproductive, but new research led by @zh0ng0.bsky.social @marius10p.bsky.social @computingnature.bsky.social suggests it could play an important role in how our brains learn. 🧠
🔗 www.janelia.org/news/zoning-...
🔗 www.janelia.org/news/zoning-...
June 24, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Your brain learns for you even when you're not actively learning. Maybe. (in mice).
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Our new paper out now in Science explores how neural activity in the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) *drifts* over time - and *jumps* at key boundaries - to help organize events in memory.
🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Here's a quick summary of what we found 🧵👇
🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Here's a quick summary of what we found 🧵👇
June 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Our new paper out now in Science explores how neural activity in the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) *drifts* over time - and *jumps* at key boundaries - to help organize events in memory.
🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Here's a quick summary of what we found 🧵👇
🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Here's a quick summary of what we found 🧵👇
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Nature research paper: Nerve-to-cancer transfer of mitochondria during cancer metastasis
https://go.nature.com/46c474I
https://go.nature.com/46c474I
Nerve-to-cancer transfer of mitochondria during cancer metastasis - Nature
A study reports the development of a method to trace intercellular transfer of mitochondria, and demonstrates that cancer cells that receive mitochondria from neurons have enhanced metastatic capabilities.
go.nature.com
June 25, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Nature research paper: Nerve-to-cancer transfer of mitochondria during cancer metastasis
https://go.nature.com/46c474I
https://go.nature.com/46c474I
Reposted by Ben S. Huang
Your brain doesn’t just passively track time ⏳ - it structures it.
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Event structure sculpts neural population dynamics in the lateral entorhinal cortex
Our experience of the world is a continuous stream of events that must be segmented and organized at multiple timescales. The neural mechanisms underlying this process remain unknown. In this work, we...
www.science.org
June 26, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Your brain doesn’t just passively track time ⏳ - it structures it.
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...