Rating: Very Good
Strong Points: Contains an expansive atlas, in addition to various tutorial and analysis protocols.
Weak Points: Website looks a bit dated but seems to be updated regularly.
SynapseWeb, from the University of Texas at Austin, provides a portal for viewing the brain on one of the smallest scales available to us. The website contains numerous resources, but its most expansive component is its Atlas of Ultrastructual Neurocytology. The atlas collects hundreds of electron microscope images of neuronal structures, including organelles found in neuronal cells, dendrites, and axonal terminals, and even abnormalities that occur in cellular structures during disease. Despite its size, the atlas is well-organized and easy to browse through. In addition to the atlas, the website includes a “Tutorials” section for users who want more information about larger structures in the nervous system. Each tutorial contains information about, and images of, various brain sections at a larger scale. The website also includes tissue processing and imaging protocols for users interested in collecting their own samples. SynapseWeb is a great resource for neuroscientists and students who want to view the nervous system at the structural level without needing access to an electron microscope.