More on the OA Allen Brain Atlas

Xeni Jardin, Paul Allen's Digital Brain, Wired News, September 26, 2006. Excerpt:

Scientists have mapped every gene in the mouse brain as part of Paul Allen's Brain Atlas project launched in 2003. While brain maps until now have been similar to a traditional encyclopedia, the Allen Brain Atlas is more like Google Earth.

When the Microsoft co-founder donated $100 million for the project, his stipulations were that the map be open access and free.

"The brain is one of the richest green fields of science," Allen told Wired News. "There's so much yet to be discovered. So I brought together a group of scientists and asked them to tell me what could be done that wasn't yet being done -- something that could be accomplished within a reasonable number of years and advance the whole field." ...

Half of the initial $100 million Allen donated to the Institute in 2003 was earmarked for the Allen Brain Atlas, which was completed under budget with $9 million to spare. The nonprofit's directors plan to use the remaining $59 million to continue Institute operations in years to come, and will seek additional sources of public and private funding for the next big step: scanning human brain tissue.

PS:  For background, see my earlier posts on this project.