Unprecedented 3D views of sensory cells accelerate hearing research

The cochlea is the spiral-shaped structure within the inner ear responsible for our sense of hearing. To fully understand hearing functions and open the door to new hearing loss treatments, scientists require intricately detailed views of hair cells within the cochlea that allow us to detect the range of sounds around us. University of California San Diego biologists have now leveraged artificial intelligence to create a tool that provides previously unseen 3D views of cochlear hair cells.