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education

Database Guide | Allen Brain Cell (ABC) Atlas

An in-depth guide on how to use the ABC Atlas to ask and evaluate research questions

resource type / 
Database Guide
published / March 9, 2026
education level / 
Graduate
Undergraduate
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About this resource

Topics: Neuroscience & Transcriptomics
Audience: Advanced undergraduate students, introductory graduate students
Open dataset/tool: ABC Atlas
Resource type: Database guide

‍

What is the ABC Atlas?

The ABC Atlas is an online, browser-based tool that allows researchers to visualize multiple high-quality single-cell datasets for free – including single-cell transcriptomics (scRNAseq) & spatial transcriptomics for mice, humans, Alzheimer’s Disease, and more.

Flow chart based off research question topic to select most appropriate dataset to use

‍

To help students understand this rich but complex data, this guide includes the following:

  • Background information explaining the ABC Atlas’s terminology (e.g., scRNAseq, cell type, transcriptomics)
  • A beginner-friendly user interface manual
  • An example walkthrough that shows how scientists can use the ABC Atlas to ask a specific research question
  • A guide on how to formulate a research question, which includes a flowchart helping you select the best ABC Atlas dataset to address your question

Want to learn more?

Check out these published articles for a more in-depth look at the datasets included within the ABC Atlas:  

  • A high-resolution transcriptomic and spatial atlas of cell types in the whole mouse brain (Yao et al., 2023)  
  • Transcriptomic diversity of cell types across the adult human brain (Siletti et al., 2023)  
  • Integrated multimodal cell atlas of Alzhiemer’s disease (Gabitto et al., 2024)

‍

Materials

General overview of the ABC Atlas

Step-by-step user manual

Research question guide

Example of how a student might use the ABC Atlas

‍

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