Neuroscientists are making "bug brain soup"

Counting neurons is easier when insects’ brains are mashed up.

Studying insects’ brain sizes is extremely hard — counting neurons the old fashioned way (by hand) is a slow, tedious process.

So scientists tried a new method: putting a bunch of insect brains in a blender. According to a new study, the mashed bug brain method works — and it’s led to new discoveries about how insect brains compare to each other and larger animals.

The challenge: When it comes to brains and brain power, size doesn’t always matter — animals with smaller brains can have more cognitive capabilities than those with larger ones.

The number of neurons in an animal’s brain is a better indicator of its capabilities, but counting those cells can be time-consuming — the traditional approach has been to cut the brain into thin slices and then count the neurons in each section.

This is a time-consuming process, and you’ll need to do it many, many times to get a good sample for even one species.

The idea: In 2005, Brazilian neuroscientist Suzanna Herculano-Houzel developed a faster technique for counting neurons: the isotropic fractionator (IF) method.

Rather than slicing up a brain, this method involves blending part or all of it into a homogeneous substance in a way that releases the nuclei from their cells. A special dye can then be applied to this “brain soup” to make the nuclei from just the neurons visible and easily countable.

This new study marks the first use of the IF method for counting neurons in invertebrate animals.

Bug brain soup: After extracting the brains from 32 species of bees, wasps, and ants, University of Arizona researchers used the IF method to count their neurons.

A special dye highlights the nuclei of each neuron in the “brain soup.”

When they compared their results for two of the species to those generated through traditional methods for counting neurons, they matched up, suggesting that the blender method was just as accurate.

Why it matters: A fast, simple method for counting neurons in insects’ brains could lead to a host of new discoveries about the creatures.

Through this study alone, the researchers learned that certain bee species have higher brain cell densities than some birds and mammals.

They also discovered that bees and wasps tend to have more neurons than ants — they suspect that that’s because they need extra brain power to process visual information while flying.

We’d love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [email protected].

Related
Human brains have a remarkable ability to rewire themselves following injury
Every brain injury is unique, as is every person’s path to recovery. A concussion specialist explains the science behind rehabilitation and recovery.
A new machine is able to keep the brain alive without a heart
A new device that lets scientists precisely control the brain’s blood supply could lead to new neuroscience breakthroughs.
What is brown noise? Can this latest TikTok trend really help you sleep?
Brown noise, the better-known white noise, and even pink noise are all sonic hues. But do any of them actually work?
Human sleep patterns appear to change with the seasons
Researchers observed the sleep of 188 subjects to see if their slumbers would change in duration and structure along with the seasons.
Up Next
stroke rehab
Subscribe to Freethink for more great stories