CNS-VOYAGER: A CLOUD-BASED BRAIN VIEWER PLATFORM FOR INTEGRATIVE SPATIAL BIOLOGY

Brain research generates increasingly large and complex datasets from diverse spatial imaging techniques, yet integration and multimodal analysis remain major bottlenecks. Dataset fragmentation stems from challenges in standardizing varied file formats and metadata structures, compounded by difficulties in connecting different spatio-temporal resolutions and reference spaces across techniques. This technical barrier confines valuable brain data to narrow communities, preventing broader accessibility and limiting cross-disciplinary insight. Existing tools address isolated tasks but lack scalable integration across modalities and experiments.
We developed CNS-Voyager, a cloud-based brain viewer built on a multimodal mouse brain atlas that unifies diverse datasets in a shared 3D reference space. The platform anchors structural, molecular, and functional data to in vivo anatomical coordinates, enabling spatially informed cross-study comparisons previously impossible with existing tools. Researchers can explore brain maps through interactive 3D rendering and 2D slice views, overlay multiple datasets, and query anatomical regions where every voxel carries precise spatial coordinates. Mathematical operations allow direct comparison and combination of brain maps across studies. Users can integrate their own imaging datasets into the platform, enabling broad accessibility without specialized infrastructure or coding expertise.
This approach transforms how multimodal brain data can be utilized. For instance, researchers can overlay light sheet microscopy activity maps with gene expression data to identify molecular signatures of active neurons, then use the in vivo coordinates to guide stereotactic targeting in follow-up experiments. By converting isolated experiments into cumulative, interoperable assets, CNS-Voyager addresses a fundamental barrier in neuroscience, accelerating discovery and supporting more efficient CNS drug development.