On Sept. 26, 2006, the Allen Institute for Brain Science announced the completion of the groundbreaking Allen Brain Atlas, a Webbased, three-dimensional map of gene expression in the mouse brain. Detailing more than 21,000 genes at the cellular level, the Atlas provided scientists with a level of data previously not available.

Since humans share more than 90 percent of their genes with mice, the Atlas offered profound opportunity to further understanding of human disorders and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, schizophrenia, autism and addiction.