Biology subjects

Myers, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Myers, H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

3D-MAESTRO: A scalable, modular, portable pipeline for automated processing of large-scale volumetric brain microscopy data

Light microscopy is routinely used to explore the cellular and molecular structure of tissues, but the scale and complexity of data remains a bottleneck for discovery. We introduce 3D-MAESTRO (3D-Microscopy Automation and Execution with Scalable Tools, Rendering, and Orchestration): an automated image processing workflow for large-scale microscopy data, built for scalable execution across cloud and local computing environments. 3D-MAESTRO orchestrates denoising, stitching of image tiles, atlas registration, and segmentation. Its modular architecture permits the integration and benchmarking of new packages, ensuring that performance evolves as more efficient or accurate algorithms emerge. We introduce a new 3D image template for automated registration of mouse brains cleared with aqueous reagents and an efficient method for detection of fluorescent cells. We apply 3D-MAESTRO to lightsheet images of whole mouse brains in the context of diverse anatomical and functional experiments, illustrating high-throughput and reproducible mapping of microscopic structures across the brain.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Topographic structure and function of locus coeruleus norepinephrine neurons

Norepinephrine (NE) is released throughout most of the central nervous system by neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC). We found a relationship between the morphologies, gene expression, and activity of LC-NE neurons in mice. Axonal projections of individual neurons were extensive but largely confined to subsets of brain regions. Axonal projections and graded gene expression correlated with locations of cell bodies in LC. In a behavioral task requiring ongoing learning from actions, neurons in dorsal LC projecting to the cerebral cortex were excited when mice made a different choice from the previous one and by reward prediction errors, a signal driving learning. Background activity of neurons in ventral LC was higher when mice ignored stimuli indicating potential reward availability. These observations reveal a topographically organized structure and function of a neurotransmitter system and show that it contains learning signals for flexible behavior.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

The diverse diet of southern Alaska resident killer whales changes across spatiotemporally distinct foraging aggregations

Top predators influence ecological communities in part through the prey they consume, which they often track through cycles of seasonal and geographic abundance. Killer whales are top predators in the marine ecosystem. In the North Pacific, they have diverged into three distinct lineages with different diets, of which the fish-eating type is most abundant. In this study, we examine the diet of the southern Alaska resident killer whale population across three major foraging aggregations. We take advantage of two unique sampling methods to reveal strong spatiotemporal patterns in diet from May through September. Chinook, chum, and coho salmon were each dominant in different locations and times, with substantial dietary contributions from Pacific halibut, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish. The diverse, location-specific, and seasonal nature of the feeding habits of this marine top predator highlights the importance of diet sampling across broad spatiotemporal and population-level scales.

ecology↗