Is a transparent fish the future of brain science? This center is betting on it

Fluorescent proteins, seen inside this transparent Danionella fish, allow scientists to track processes in its brain and body. Researchers at a major brain science center hope that studying Danionella fish will reveal new information about the brain-behavior connection. Chie Satou/HHMI hide caption

One of the world's top centers for brain science is taking a huge gamble on a tiny, transparent fish.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus near Washington, D.C., has announced an effort to use artificial intelligence and an unusual fish called Danionella to understand how the brain controls complex behaviors like social interaction.

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"It's a big, risky bet," says Gerry Rubin , Janelia's founding executive director and head of biology. "But that's what makes it interesting."

Janelia plans to triple the space dedicated to fish to 6,000 square feet, which will make room for thousands of new tanks. Leaders expect that the number of scientists working on Danionella is likely to rise from about 10 to 100 or more.

The payoff, they say, will be worth it — because by watching an entire fish brain function in real time, researchers at Janelia hope to learn about exactly how the brain drives behavior in other species, including humans.

"We all evolved from fish, and our brains share many features of the brains of fish," says Nelson Spruston , Janelia's executive director.