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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I believe DSCs further compartmentalise inputs and thereby efficiently increases the computational capacity of neurons so that each individual biological neuron is more similar to a multi-layer network rather than the point neuron used in artificial neuronal networks.

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

We show that even along an individual branch, inputs are partitioned by nano-scale narrowings that compartmentalised the branch. We named the narrowings dendritic shaft constrictions (DSCs) and using different high resolution microscopy techniques confirm DSCs in different principal cell types.

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Compartmentalisation is a critical feature of neurons allowing a neuron to structure its inputs. Dendrites have long been known to compartmentalise inputs allowing neurons to perform computations in different dendritic branches in parallel and vastly increasing the computation power of the neuron.

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Very happy our work on a weird new nanoscale morphological feature is out in @science.org. A massive effort involving different high resolution microscopy techniques, multiple institutes, & years of work to convince ourselves DENDRITIC NARROWINGS EXIST #neuroskyence 🧪 doi.org/10.1126/scia...

buff.ly

Dendritic shaft constrictions shape synaptic integration in neurons

For nearly 150 years, textbooks have described dendritic morphology as optimized for efficient synaptic voltage transfer from spines to the soma, implemented as a tubular design respecting Rall’s 3/2…

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Reposted by Tony Kelly

Matteo Carandini @carandinilab.net · 31/07/2026

The apical dendrite looks great, and does wonders in a slice. What does it do in the living cortex? It depends on the cell. A causal spatial role for apical dendrites in the cortex www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... by @anyiliu.bsky.social with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social and @fedrossi.bsky.social

A cartoon providing a graphical summary of the paper. It is divided in 3 rows.

The top row shows a pyramidal cell and its apical tuft, and shows the two experiments that we ran: optical dendritic pruning (chopping off the apical tuft), and synaptic imaging done in the same neurons where we do somatic imaging.

The middle row shows the results pertaining to neurons that prefer large stimuli (this is visual cortex): pruning reduced their responses, and the receptive fields of apical synapses are far away from the that of the soma.

The bottom row shows the results pertaining to neurons that prefer small stimuli: pruning seemed to do nothing to the responses, and the receptive field of apical synapses are right around that of the soma.

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Recently I referred to how dendritic compartmentalisation increases computation. What is a computational unit. How has the view evolved from point neuron (basis for ANNs). How a neuroscience view may increase AI efficiency. buff.ly/zoF1rJz preprint on compartmentalisation buff.ly/TAsJuVr

biological neuron is not same as point neuron

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Dendrites have been under the microscope, since 1888. We took it further and put dendrites under 3 different microscopes (ExM, STED, EM) and reconstructed entire branches to reveal fine nanoscale details. #SuperResolution #ElectronMicroscopy #Morphology doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.18.664460

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 25/07/2024

Pleasure working with @Maikl_Wenzel & @NicolaMasala1, as well as @ptrrupprecht, @Norambr, @FritjofHelmchen, @yusterafa, @HeinzBeck8, Xless Martin Fuhrmann, Manuel Mittag, Darik A. O’Neil, Fabian Distler. Across different institutions @UniBonn, @DZNE_en @Columbia_NTC, @UZH_en 3/3

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 25/07/2024

Very happy our cautionary tale of GECI expression in the hippocampus is out in @eLife. elifesciences.org/articles/93804 We describe Ca2+ waves though the hippocampus. Mesmerising but artefact of GECI expression. Also a tweet print x.com/tonykellyEU/status/1723654794…. 1/3

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 25/06/2024

Our @eLife paper on artefactual Ca2+ waves following calcium indicator expression is highlighted in neuroscience magazine @_TheTransmitter. Really nice talking with @avaskham and seeing the perspectives from @Sheffield_Lab, @DanielDombeck & @LoogerL t.co/vqy9K5hEeP

thetransmitter.org

Widely used calcium imaging protocol can lead to spurious results, new paper cautions

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 14/12/2022

Nice work on how differences in dendritic morphology btwn human and mouse neurons impact dendritic excitability. x.com/GregStuartLab/status/16029007…

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 05/12/2022

Thanks also to @Brain1878 and reviewers. One of my most positive review processes, working how it should: The referees had critical points We responded with changes and experiments. Always their intent was to improve the ms. Thanks to the referees it is a much stronger paper

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Tony Kelly @tonykellyeu.bsky.social · 05/12/2022

appreciate all the work from everyone who contributed to make this a great paper. It has been a massive effort from everyone. @heinzbeck, @marpofahl, @haubrich_andre @MaryPasn, @KirstenBohmbach @HennebergerLab, @LalaEwell and the twitterless others...

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