Josh Siegle proposes an "ImageNet for cell types" to link neural activity to cell identity
patrickmineault · x · 2026-11-11
In an Institute for Progress Launch Sequence essay, Josh Siegle proposes building a large-scale standardized dataset — an "ImageNet for cell types" — to link neural activity to cell-type identity in living brains.
- Cell types are well cataloged in fixed tissue but hard to identify in live recordings, blocking insight into how circuits drive behavior and how diseases like Parkinson's or blindness emerge
- The resource would enable brain models and reveal new therapeutic targets
- The essay lays out hardware, reagents, and software paths, arguing funding is needed now as part of preparing for advanced AI
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