Expansion microscopy reveals neural circuit organization in genetic animal models

TL;DR

This paper reviews a decade of Expansion Microscopy advancements, highlighting its role in revealing neural circuit organization in various animal models by enabling super-resolution imaging of nano-scale structures in neuroscience.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the development and application of Expansion Microscopy techniques in neuroscience research over the past ten years.

Findings

Enhanced resolution of neural structures in animal models

Application of Expansion Microscopy across multiple species

Advancement in understanding neural circuit organization

Abstract

Expansion Microscopy is a super-resolution technique in which physically enlarging samples in an isotropic manner increases inter-molecular distances such that nano-scale structures can be resolved using light microscopy. This is particularly useful in neuroscience as many important structures are smaller than the diffraction limit. Since its invention in 2015, a variety of Expansion Microscopy protocols have been generated and applied to advance knowledge in many prominent organisms in neuroscience, including zebrafish, mice, Drosophila, and C. elegans. Here we review the last decade of Expansion Microscopy-enabled advances with a focus on neuroscience.