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Exploding Brains

New microscopy technique makes small things bigger and so easier to see

15 February 2019

Exploding Brains

Microscopy is usually a search for the increasingly small. But a new approach uses some lateral thinking – why not just make the tiny things bigger?! Using expansion microscopy, slices of fruit fly brains are stuck to a polymer gel which then expands, pulling and stretching the brain tissue along with the tiny biology inside. Newly exploded, the structures are easier to pick out, especially using patterned light employed by lattice light sheet microscopy. In five superimposed images here, each colour shows supersized neurons inside a different fruit fly brain. The starry bursts of colour are actually boutons, neuron endings that connect to other brain cells (10 million times smaller than fireworks in the night sky). This novel way of zooming in on life is currently being used to stretch our understanding of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Written by John Ankers

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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