SynapticConnectDB — Synaptic Connection Database
A full-stack database application for exploring synaptic connection data through charts, flow diagrams, and searchable records. It turns a large connectivity dataset into a navigable research interface instead of leaving it trapped in raw tables.
Researchers needed a way to query and visualise synaptic connection data without working directly from raw tables, database files, or one-off analysis notebooks.
Built the React + Flask application, interactive visualisation layer, export paths, caching, and production deployment around a large SQLite dataset.
Turned a connectivity dataset into a usable research interface with charts, diagrams, and downloadable results.
Lead Developer
3 months
Reader-first case study
This case study focuses on problem framing, implementation choices, technical constraints, and outcome.
Lead Developer
3 months
Research project
2025
This case study focuses on data modelling, query surfaces, and interface architecture rather than reproducing the underlying research dataset.
React frontend with charts, flow diagrams, and filterable views for connectivity exploration
Flask API querying a 770MB+ SQLite database with caching and export support
Production deployment using Docker Compose, Nginx, SSL, and Redis
Project Overview
SynapticConnectDB is a research database platform for exploring synaptic connection data. It provides interactive visualisations and a searchable interface for researchers studying how neurons connect and communicate across brain regions.
Project Details
Technologies Used
- React 18 with React Router
- Tailwind CSS
- Recharts (data visualisation)
- XYFlow (interactive flow diagrams)
- Framer Motion (animations)
- Flask (Python) REST API
- SQLAlchemy + SQLite (~770MB database)
- Redis (caching)
- Docker Compose (production deployment)
- Nginx (reverse proxy)
- Gunicorn (WSGI server)
Key Features
- Interactive Data Visualisation: Charts and flow diagrams showing synaptic connectivity patterns
- Searchable Database: Query synaptic connections across brain regions and cell types
- CSV Export: Download filtered datasets for downstream analysis
- Real-Time Statistics: Live tracking of database metrics and usage
- Responsive UI: Modern component library with Lucide icons and animations
- Containerised Deployment: Docker Compose with SSL configuration for production
Technical Highlights
- Full-Stack Architecture: Decoupled React SPA communicating with Flask REST API
- Large Dataset Handling: Efficient queries against a 770MB+ SQLite database with pandas integration
- Production-Ready: Docker Compose with Nginx reverse proxy, SSL termination, and Redis caching