Surveying All the Proteins on a Neuron’s Surface

Another great work by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute!

"As if casting a tiny net, a new technique has rounded up all the proteins on the surface of neurons in the brains of fruit flies. The roundup uncovered 20 new molecules involved in wiring the developing brain. ... The find furthers scientists’ understanding of how neurons in the brain form complex networks, ... And it demonstrates for the first time that this protein-finding method actually works in intact brain tissues – not just cells grown in the lab ...
That’s important because the tissue environment is crucial for cells’ development, and lab cell cultures can’t replicate it."

Surveying All the Proteins on a Neuron’s Surface | HHMI.org: Scientists have found a new way to home in on the proteins covering a particular cell’s surface. The feat offers insight into how brain cells form intricate networks during development.