Super resolution imaging of various neuronal structures of the brain via expansion microscopy

Abstract

Super-resolution imaging of the brain has revealed nanoscale structures of various neuronal structures of the brain. However, the adaptation of super-resolution imaging techniques to the brain is still limited, as it generally requires special chemicals, apparatuses, or skilled personnel. Here, we demonstrate the super-resolution, volumetric, and three-dimensional imaging of various neuronal microstructures of the brain, including blood-brain barrier, synaptic receptors, and neuronal cytoskeletons. Among various super-resolution microscopy techniques, we use expansion microscopy as a imaging modality, as it can easily achieve 60-nm resolution imaging of thick tissue slices with a conventional microscopy system. In this work, we will compare the diffraction-limited images and super-resolved images of the same structures to clearly show the nanoscale molecular detailed of those structures that can be revealed only with the super-resolution microscopy technique.