Allen Institute researchers and engineers have unlocked potential and vast discoveries through the new Brain Knowledge Platform (BKP).  This first-of-its-kind database and research tool has just launched with data from over 34 million brain cells. It compiles and standardizes the world’s neuroscience data into a common format and language allowing deep, seamless collaboration between international teams all united in the common goal of finding cures for brain disease.   

While the exact causes of neurodegenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia are still largely unknown, researchers have been able to identify a key characteristic in affected brains: reduced blood flow. A team at Penn State recently found that a rare neuron that is extremely vulnerable to anxiety-induced stress appears to be responsible for regulating blood flow and coordinating neural activity in mice.