EPFL scientists map the brain's lipids into 539 distinct zones

Researchers at EPFL have built the Lipid Brain Atlas, a map of lipid distribution in the mouse brain. Using mass spectrometry imaging, they analyzed 172 lipids across 109 brain slices from 11 mice, yielding about 7 million measurements and 539 chemically distinct territories called "lipizones."

• Atlas built from 109 brain slices of 11 mice and 172 lipids
• About 7 million measurements combined into a 3D reconstruction via machine learning
• 539 chemically distinct territories identified, named "lipizones"
• Pregnancy shifts brain lipids more than typical male-female differences