New microscope footage brings us closer to understanding the central nervous system

Each year, the Nikon Small World in Motion competition provides compelling microscopic videos that paint detailed pictures of entire worlds hidden within our own.

This year's winner is a 48-hour time-lapse video of developing neurons connecting to the opposite side of the central nervous system in a chick embryo. The video was developed by Dr. Alexandre Dumoulin at the University of Zurich, and brings researchers closer to understanding the potential deviations in neurodevelopmental disorders that occur in the central nervous system, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.