{
"papers": [
{
"n": 1500,
"doi": "10.1038/nature09802",
"value": "450 × 350 × 52 μm",
"method": "ssTEM",
"metric": "EM volume",
"n_analyzed": "1500",
"ci_or_error": null,
"text_access": "fulltext",
"n_definition": "cell bodies in EM volume",
"scope_region": "mouse V1",
"study_system": "Mouse V1 L1/2/3/upper-4",
"taxonomic_level": "broad mixed-cell-type volume",
"scope_population": "L1-upper L4",
"value_source_sentence": "The raw image data was approximately 36 terabytes (TB), with the final stitched and registered EM data set encompassing approximately ten million megapixels (10 TB), spanning ~450 x 350 x 52 μm and containing approximately 1500 cell bodies ().",
"experimental_conditions": "TEMCA, 4 × 4 × 50 nm voxels"
},
{
"n": 1278,
"doi": "10.1038/nature17192",
"value": "450 × 450 × 150 μm",
"method": "ssTEM",
"metric": "EM volume",
"n_analyzed": "1278",
"ci_or_error": null,
"text_access": "fulltext",
"n_definition": "reconstructed neuronal targets",
"scope_region": "mouse V1",
"study_system": "Mouse V1 L2/3",
"taxonomic_level": "broad mixed-cell-type volume",
"scope_population": "L2/3 pyramidal cells + targets",
"value_source_sentence": "3700 serial sections (< 50 nm thick) were cut and imaged spanning a 450 × 450 × 150 μm volume at 4 × 4 × 40 nm/voxel resolution.",
"experimental_conditions": "TEMCA, 4 × 4 × 40 nm voxels"
},
{
"n": 500,
"doi": "10.1038/s41467-020-18659-3",
"value": "~0.003 mm³ (≈500 neurons)",
"method": "ssTEM (autoTEM)",
"metric": "Pilot EM volume",
"n_analyzed": "500",
"ci_or_error": null,
"text_access": "fulltext",
"n_definition": "neurons in pilot autoTEM volume",
"scope_region": "mouse V1",
"study_system": "Mouse V1 L2/3",
"taxonomic_level": "broad mixed-cell-type volume",
"scope_population": "L2/3",
"value_source_sentence": "The pilot dataset contained about 500 neurons and 3.2 million synapses, spanning over layer 2/3 mouse primary visual cortex, which have been analyzed to examine network connectivity of pyramidal and chandelier cells.",
"experimental_conditions": "autoTEM pipeline"
},
{
"n": 144120,
"doi": "10.1038/s41586-025-08790-w",
"value": "1.3 × 0.87 × 0.82 mm (≈1 mm³)",
"method": "ssTEM",
"metric": "EM volume",
"n_analyzed": "94010",
"ci_or_error": null,
"text_access": "fulltext",
"n_definition": "automatically segmented nuclei (subvolume 65); 94,010 high-quality detections from perisomatic features paper",
"scope_region": "mouse VISp + HVAs",
"study_system": "Mouse VISp + AL + LM + RL",
"taxonomic_level": "broad mixed-cell-type volume",
"scope_population": "all cells across layers 1–6",
"value_source_sentence": "Here we present a dataset (Fig.) that bridges neuronal function and connectivity at the cubic millimetre scale in mouse visual cortex (in vivo dimensions 1.3 × 0.87 × 0.82 mm).",
"experimental_conditions": "autoTEM pipeline, two subvolumes, dense reconstruction"
}
],
"audit_issues": [
{
"dimension": "sample_size",
"description": "n_definition varies (reconstructed targets vs. neurons in pilot vs. automatically segmented nuclei in subvolume vs. perisomatic-features detections). Volumes are commensurable but neuron counts use different denominators.",
"entries_affected": [
"10.1038/nature09802",
"10.1038/nature17192",
"10.1038/s41467-020-18659-3",
"10.1038/s41586-025-08790-w"
]
}
],
"audit_verdict": "CAVEAT",
"comparison_id": "mouse-cortex-EM-volume-scale",
"comparison_name": "Mouse cortex EM volume size across studies",
"comparison_type": "timeline",
"what_it_reveals": "Mouse-cortex EM volume size has grown roughly 300-fold from Bock 2011 (~0.008 mm³) to MICrONS 2025 (~1 mm³), with corresponding growth in reconstructed neuron and synapse counts.",
"homogeneity_check": {
"caveats": [
"n_definition varies across papers (reconstructed targets, neurons in pilot, nuclei detections); raw volume dimensions are comparable but cell-population counts use different denominators."
],
"n_definition_uniform": "false",
"scope_region_uniform": "true",
"taxonomic_level_uniform": "true",
"scope_population_uniform": "true"
},
"suggested_plot_type": "timeline",
"mandatory_caption_caveats": [
"Raw EM volumes are commensurable, but reported cell counts use different denominators (reconstructed neurons, pilot-only counts, automatically segmented nuclei). State the denominator for any neuron-count axis."
]
}