IIT Madras’ Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre releases “ANCHOR,” a detailed three-dimensional atlas of the human brainstem with cellular-level resolution. The atlas maps more than 200 brainstem nuclei and associated fiber tracts and is built from hundreds of serial tissue sections that are reconstructed in 3D. The development combines multiple types of data to characterize brainstem structure and chemistry, including MRI-based imaging, histology, and chemo-architecture information. According to the reports, ANCHOR covers developmental stages from prenatal through adult periods, enabling comparisons across time and supporting a range of neuroanatomical and clinical research uses. The project is presented as the most detailed 3D brainstem atlas of its kind, with the goal of improving understanding of brainstem organization at a fine scale. The creators say the atlas is intended to support clinical and translational applications that rely on accurate brainstem localization and characterization.