One more leap like this and we'll be able to resolve individual dendrites and obtain a complete connectome. Combined with microscopic slices (with suitable immunohistological staining), we'd be getting close to obtaining the data necessary for brain uploading - at least in mice.

What do you mean by brain uploading

The keyword is connectome[1]. The theory is that if you can reproduce a connectome 1:1 then you can basically make an exact replica of a mind.

Think of it like how you might be able to reverse engineer and recreate a microchip from high enough resolution imagery of an existing microchip.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connectome

Yes, I'm aware of what the connectome is. Someone in my lab is working on a piece of it. My question was regarding the term upload, most people don't mean a replica when they use that term

One thing that the MRI studies don't address are the types of synaptic connections. Neurons aren't all just excitatory of inhibitory. There's a massive amount of modulation happen with numerous types of neurotransmitters and other signaling molecules.

There is also a significant amount of non-synaptic interaction through neuropeptides, extracellular vesicles, diffusible molecules and active pumping of the CFS, glial networks, electric field effects, plus all of the unknowns.

We've had the complete C. elegans connectome for 30+ years, and know very little about how it actually generates behaviour... because synapses are only a small part of the picture.

I'm not sure why you got downvoted, you're absolutely correct. There are so many pieces to how biological neurons work, we barely understand it. Even electrophysiological studies are missing out on a ton of info

Yep, this is a perfectly correct comment. And lots if subsynaptic magic. The connectome us important but it is turtles at least five levels down.