EBRAINS 2.0: A Research Infrastructure to Advance Neuroscience and Brain Health

Project Information

EBRAINS 2.0

Grant agreement ID: 101147319

DOI

10.3030/101147319

EC signature date 14 December 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Research infrastructures

Total cost

€ 37 995 202,50

EU contribution

€ 37 995 202,50

Coordinated by

EBRAINS
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EBRAINS 2.0 (EBRAINS 2.0: A Research Infrastructure to Advance Neuroscience and Brain Health)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Understanding the human brain is one of the greatest scientific challenges of our time. Making progress in this area is essential for addressing urgent health needs in an ageing society including those relating to neurological and psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, this progress is crucial for advancing progress in brain-inspired technologies such as responsible artificial intelligence.
The EBRAINS research infrastructure responds directly to these challenges by providing open digital tools, data and services that support high-quality, collaborative, ethically responsible, and reproducible neuroscience. Launched as part of the EU-funded Human Brain Project, EBRAINS is an evolving infrastructure that integrates data, models, and computing resources to facilitate brain research and medicine.
The EBRAINS 2.0 project has been developed to fortify and broaden the EBRAINS infrastructure. It will provide more powerful multi-level brain atlases, new capabilities for brain modeling and simulation, better tools for personalised medicine and digital twins, and innovative neuromorphic computing and neurorobotics. The utilization of unique datasets will enhance our comprehension of the progression of neurological diseases and psychiatric conditions, thereby establishing novel standards in the domain of neuroimaging, which will ultimately benefit patients. The services and data sets at EBRAINS are highly relevant in the rapidly evolving field of AI. By providing a robust infrastructure that reflects the needs of its users, the project paves the way for continued progress in neuroscience and emerging technologies.
EBRAINS is characterized by its user-friendliness and its adherence to FAIR principles, providing researchers with unique data sets, brain atlases, and powerful modeling, simulation, and analysis tools. These resources are accessible through a single portal, streamlining the research experience. EBRAINS enables its users to integrate disparate data and methodologies, thereby facilitating their own research endeavours and accelerating the process of innovation.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

EBRAINS 2.0 is making substantial progress toward its scientific and technical objectives. EBRAINS atlases underwent expansion and update across species, incorporating new region definitions and foundational datasets, encompassing cell densities, connectivity, fiber bundles, and additional parameters. A developmental mouse brain atlas was incorporated, and novel cloud services for large-scale image data delivery were evaluated. A series of tools designed for neuroimaging, basic neuroscience, and clinical users have been introduced and are currently undergoing a usability evaluation process.
The recently developed Platform for Human Imaging has become operational, thereby facilitating harmonized data uploads and processing via dedicated pipelines. The acquisition of data is currently ongoing, and its consistency has been validated across various European sites. Recent advancements in the field, exemplified by the Big5M toolbox, have enabled researchers to investigate the connections between human imaging and microstructural data.
In the domain of modeling and simulation, significant advancements have been made in the development and release of brain simulators and neuron builders. A total of twelve ready-to-run multiscale models have been catalogued on the platform. Human imaging data is now incorporated into personalised modeling workflows, which are utilized in three demonstrators. The first demonstrator is a robot arm that learns to grasp. The second demonstrator is a platform investigating inflammation in Parkinson's disease. The third demonstrator is a virtual brain twin for seizure mapping.
The technical efforts were centred on enhancing data curation, refining user tools, and aligning with the FAIR principles. A Workflow Library is currently under development to support customized data processing. The platform services were maintained with a high degree of reliability. A new Open Metrics Framework was launched, and the EBRAINS Software Distribution is being built to ensure the consistent deployment of tools. In conclusion, the initiative resulted in the enhancement of collaborative efforts with prominent European infrastructures and initiatives, thereby reinforcing EBRAINS' position as a pioneering open platform for neuroscience.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

EBRAINS 2.0 is delivering cutting-edge digital tools that take brain science beyond current limits. One major achievement is the new fMRI analysis tool that links brain activity to detailed brain maps. Easy to install and use, it opens advanced research and increasing the user community. Another breakthrough is the “tiamat” service, which uses AI to provide real-time image analysis of brain tissue, offering a deeper understanding of brain structure.
EBRAINS 2.0 is developing digital brain twins, which are virtual models that simulate activities ranging from neurons to whole-brain function. These twins are linked to detailed brain maps and advanced computing platforms, including neuromorphic hardware, and facilitate the execution of realistic simulations of the human brain.
The EBRAINS Software Distribution ensures all tools are easy to install and work together seamlessly. The new EBRAINS Handbook includes over 100 guides, and the new EBRAINS Design System ensures a consistent and accessible user experience.
The project actively supports education and engagement through events such as Girls' Day, summer schools, user workshops, and participation in the Google Summer of Code. Preparations for the EBRAINS Summit 2025 in Brussels, which is being held in partnership with the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility, are also underway.

The Julich Brain Atlas - Credits: Katrin Amunts, Hartmut Mohlberg