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Visualization Tools

Visualization Tools

These tools are organized by a description of their functionality, their RRID (Research Resource Identification), the type of software, data modality, and which Allen Institute resource's data was utilized for this tool. The authors of the tool are listed first by computational contributors then by academic authors when the tool has a relevant publication.

3DBAR: The 3D Atlas Brain Reconstructor

3DBARs contains a repository of digital representations of different brain atlases and a repository of 3D models of brain structures to create visualizations for the user. A graphical front-end is provided for creating and viewing the reconstructed models as well as the underlying 2D atlas data. An application programming interface (API) facilitates programmatic access to the service contents from other websites. 

Link Relevant Publication 

RRID

SCR_008896

Software Type

Data analysis software, visualization tool

Modality

Neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas

Author

Piotr Majka, Jakub Dzik

Allen Brain Atlas-Driven Visualizations

Link Relevant Publication

ABADV generates simple-to-analyze visualizations of numerous mouse gene expression data across brain structures. This tool utilizes Data-Driven Documents (D3), a Javascript library that uses data to drive the creation and control of visualizations in web browsers. ABADV allows researchers to immediately obtain and survey mouse gene expression data using a variety of visualizations, which can then be used to supplement their work or perform meta-analysis. 

RRID

SCR_023811

Software Type

visualization tool

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

Andrew Zaldivar, Michael Beyeler

Year Released

2014

AllenDigger

Link Relevant Publication

AllenDigger is a toolkit to preprocess gene expression data and visualize the spatial distribution of genes of interest, characterize the spatial heterogeneity of the brain, as well as to register cells from single-cell transcriptomics data to fine anatomical brain regions via machine learning methods. AllenDigger aids precise spatial gene expression queries and extra spatial information to further interpret the scRNA-seq data. 

RRID

SCR_023812

Software Type

data preprocessing software, data registration, visualization

Modality

Gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

Mengdi Wang, Liangchen Zhuo, Wenji Ma, Yan Zhuo, Xiaoqun Wang

Year Released

2022

BRain area Input Output (BRIO)

Link 

BRIO is a MATLAB-based analysis and visualization tool based on the Allen Brain Atlas connectivity database. It produces custom and user-friendly visualizations and figures for input-output strength of a specific brain area.

RRID

SCR_023846

Software Type

visualization tool, data analysis tool

Modality

brain region connectivity 

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas

Year Released

2020

Brain Observatory Toolbox

Link 

The Brain Observatory provides a uniform process and interface to access, navigate, and analyze visual coding neural datasets from the Allen Brain Observatory.

Software Type

data analysis, visualization tool

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Brain Observatory

Author

Ethan Meyers

Year Released

2021

BrainGeneExpressionAnalysis (BGEA) 

Link Relevant Publication 

This MATLAB toolbox can be used to study the whole range of co-expression values between gene pairs, use the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas as a probabilistic resource to estimate the distribution of co-expression networks and compare the expression patterns of highly coexpressed sets of genes to classical neuroanatomy. 

RRID

SCR_017438

Software Type

visualization tool, data analysis software

Modality

Gene expression, neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

Pascal Frange, Michael Hawrylycz, Partha P. Mitra

Year Released

2013

BrainGlobe Atlas API: bg-atlasapi

Link 

The bg-atlasapi tool provides a consistent way to process brain atlas data from various sources. It is a common interface for programmers to download and process brain atlas data from multiple sources. 

RRID

SCR_023848

Software Type

data integration, visualization tool

Modality

general brain atlas data

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, Allen Human Brain Atlas

Author

Luigi Petrucco, Federico Claudi, Adam Tyson,
David Stansby

Year Released

2020

BrainModules

Link 

BrainModules is an online interactive visualization tool of brain architecture. There are four modes of visualization: surface, flat, coronal, and sagittal. 

RRID

SCR_023850

Software Type

visualization tool

Modality

brain region connectivity 

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas

Author

Riichiro Hira, Anji Hira, Spencer Smith

Year Released

2019

BrainRender

Link Relevant Publication 

BrainRender is a generic, open-source Python package for simultaneous and interactive visualization of multidimensional datasets registered to brain atlases.  It can render different data types in the same visualization, including user-generated data, and enables using different brain atlases using the same code base. In addition, BrainRender generates high-quality visualizations that can be used interactively and exported as high-resolution figures and animated videos. 

RRID

SCR_022328

Software Type

visualization tool

Modality

neuroanatomy, morphology

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

F. Claudi, A.L. Tyson, L. Petrucco, T.W. Margrie, R. Portugues, T. Branco

Year Released

2023

CellLocator

Link 

Cell Locator is an analysis tool that facilitates manual alignment of tissue samples to common annotated 3D spaces. The user chooses a reference atlas of interest to then create and edit annotation files, and update the slice viewer plane orientation, thus localizing cell and tissue data in a consistent spatial framework.

RRID

SCR_019264

Software Type

data analysis, data annotation, visualization tool

Modality

neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Common Coordinate Framework, Allen Human Reference Atlas

Author

Jean-Christophe Fillion-Robin, David Allemang, Johan Andruejol

Year Released

2019

Cellxgene 

Link Relevant Publication 

The cellxgene tool is a web browser for single-cell transcriptomics data. This browser allows the user to visualize over 1 million cells, cross-filter and compare data of interest, and utilize existing analysis software to interact with the data.

RRID

SCR_021059

Software Type

data repository, visualization tool, data analysis

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Cell Types Database

Author

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Year Released

2021

Cocoframer

Link 

This R package contains various functions for using the data from the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas that is registered to the Common Coordinate Framework. The functionality includes retrieving 3D, CCF-aligned, gridded ISH data from the Allen Brain Atlas API, rendering 2D plots of slices of ISH data, retrieving the Mouse Brain Atlas structural ontology, and generating 3D plots of brain structures like those presented in the Allen Brain Explorer.

RRID

SCR_023817

Software Type

data analysis software, visualization tool

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, Common Coordinate Framework

Author

Lucas Graybuck

Year Released

2020

Custom Brain Heatmaps Ontop of the Allen Brain Atlas

This page can generate brain heatmaps for the human or mouse brain ontop of the Allen Brain Atlas by editing a google spreadsheet template with specific brain region and gene information.

Link 

RRID

SCR_023815

Software Type

visualization tool, data analysis software

Modality

Gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas, Human Brain Reference Atlas

Author

Lior Kirsch

CutNII 

Link 

CutNII provides visualization and slicing of 3D isotropic image data as well as various atlases. Through orthogonal views of the three standard planes (coronal, sagittal, horizontal) and a custom-angle slice cut through the volume, CutNII produces custom-angle atlas slices that match histological sections with non-standard cutting angles. Custom slicing then allows for the inspection of anatomical features from non-conventional angles. 

RRID

SCR_023824

Software Type

visualization software

Modality

histology

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas

Author

Gergely Csucs

Year Released

2016

Cytosplore Viewer 

Link Relevant Publication

Cytosplore Viewer is an interactive visual analysis tool that allows for an interactive exploration of hierarchies of cell types. One can visualize transcriptome-wide gene expression in combination with metadata of individual cells, perform differential analyses and statistics between manual selections of cells, or between pre-defined clusters throughout the cellular hierarchy, and more.

RRID

SCR_018330

Software Type

visualization tool

Modality

cell types

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Cell Types Database

Author

Leiden Computational Biology Center

Year Released

2018

Genomic-and-High-Clustering-Data

Link 

The Genomic-and-High-Clustering Data tool analyzes the single-cell RNA-seq dataset from the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas to isolate the analysis of the hierarchical structure and the discovery of important genes in the mouse neocortex. 

RRID

SCR_023828

Software Type

visualization and clustering tool

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

Willianto Asalim

Year Released

2022

HERBS: Histological E-data Registration in Brain Space

Link 

HERBS facilitates the process of brain atlas image registration and image visualization through two- and three-dimensional visualization of brain atlas volume data, arbitrary slicing, and user-defined data.

RRID

SCR_022776

Software Type

image registration, image visualization

Modality

neuroanatomy, histology

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

Jingyi G. Fuglstad

Year Released

2022

MeshView

Link 

MeshView is a  web application for real-time 3D display of surface mesh data representing structural parcellations from volumetric atlases, including the Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas. 

RRID

SCR_017222

Software Type

visualization software

Modality

image analysis

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas

Author

Maja Amedjkouh Puchades, Gergely Csucs, Harry Carey

Year Released

2019

MouseLight

Link 

This software generates datasets of whole mouse brain images at submicron resolution which allows reconstructions of complete axonal arbors of individual neurons across the entire mouse brain.

RRID

SCR_016668

Software Type

visualization tool

Modality

neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas, Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework

Author

Jayaram Chandrashekar, Michael Economo

Year Released

2017

NeuroInfo 

Link 

NeuroInfo performs automated brain-wide characterization of cell populations and biochemical marker expression and generates quantitative analysis reports on these objects within individual brain regions. Brain volumes are registered to either the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas or the Waxholm Rat Atlas so that experimental measurements can be accumulated or compared in a standardized coordinate system across animals, cohorts, and laboratories. 

RRID

SCR_017346

Software Type

visualization tool

Modality

neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Neuropixels Trajectory Explorer

Link 

The Neuropixels trajectory explorer allows a user to use one or more virtual Neuropixels probes to plan trajectories to target brain regions. This software can be run from MATLAB, but a standalone software version is also included in the GitHub package. 

Software Type

visualization tool, data analysis software

Modality

neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Common Coordinate Framework

Author

Andy Peters

Year Released

2022

Scalable Brain Atlas

Link Relevant Publication 

The Scalable Brain Atlas provides a unified anatomical and analytic representation of over twenty brain atlases across six species. This tool outputs brain region related data including anatomical connectivity, 3d reconstructions, and coordinate transformations.

RRID

SCR_006934

Software Type

visualization tool, data analysis

Modality

neuroanatomy

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Reference Atlas, Allen Mouse Common Coordinate Framework, Allen Mouse Brain Atlas

Author

Rembrandt Bakker, Paul Tiesinga,  Rolf Kötter

Year Released

2015

Single Cell Portal

Link 

The Single Cell Portal (SCP) is both a data hub and a cell visualization tool. The user can search by study or gene and visualize the data through plots showing cell clusters, gene expression within and across studies, three-dimensional trajectories, and chromosomal rearrangements.

RRID

SCR_014816

Software Type

data repository, visualization tool, data analysis

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Cell Types Database

Author

Jon Bistline, Eric Weitz, Jean Chang, Vicky Horst, Timothy Tickle

STEB (Spatiotemporal Pattern Exploration of Brain)

Link

STEB (Spatiotemporal Pattern Exploration of Brain) is a web-based visual analytics tool for the developing mouse brain. It provides comprehensive exploration of genomic and phenotypic patterns, especially for the spatiotemporal patterns. The tool is designed in JavaScript and D3.js. 

RRID

SCR_023825

Software Type

visualization, visual analysis

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Developing Mouse Brain Atlas

Year Released

2016

VisiGene Image Browser 

Link 

VisiGene Image Browser is a virtual microscope for viewing in situ images that show where a gene is used in an organism, often down to cellular resolution. The user can examine cell-by-cell as well as tissue-by-tissue expression patterns, retrieve images that meet specific search criteria, then interactively zoom and scroll across the collection.

RRID

SCR_003341

Software Type

data repository, visualization tool

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas

Author

Jim Kent, Galt Barber

VoxHunt

Link 

VoxHunt systematically compares single-cell transcriptomes to three-dimensional in situ hybridization (ISH) data in order to analyze brain organoid patterning, developmental state, and cell composition. 

RRID

SCR_023829

Software Type

visualization tool, annotation tool

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Developing Mouse Brain Atlas, Developing Human Brain Atlas

Author

Jonas Simon Fleck

Year Released

2023

UCSC Cell Browser

Link Relevant Publication 

The USCS Cell Browser is a 2-dimensional cell viewer which displays cells as a dimensionality reduction plot with gene expression (single-cell RNA sequencing) data overlaid. 

RRID

SCR_023293

Software Type

visualization tool, data analysis

Modality

gene expression

Allen Resource Utilized

Allen Cell Types Database

Author

Max Haeussler, Matthew L Speir, Aparna Bhaduri, Nikolay S Markov, Pablo Moreno, et al.

Year Released

2021

 

 

Disclaimer

This list of third-party tools utilizing Allen Brain Map resources is for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement or approval by Allen Institute of any of the tools or other products, services, or opinions of the associated organizations. Allen Institute bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external tools or for that of subsequent links. The descriptions of these tools were adapted from their individual websites.