Nordic Life Science 1
This is a rendering of part of a large scale, 3-D
, multicolor image of a piece of the mouse hippocampus. Neurons express differently colored fluorescent proteins through a technology called Brainbow, in which viruses deliver the genes that encode for different fluorescent proteins to different neurons. This brain was prepared using expansion microscopy. developed by Ed Boyden and his research group, and which now has been recognized with the Lennart Nilsson Award, has made it possible to record images of biological preparations that have previously been very difficult to study. Unlike traditional methods, the technique is based on physical expansion of the biological specimen. The jury of the Lennart Nilsson Award described his achievement as, “Making the invisible visible and, with an artistic view, he has highlighted the beauty in microscopy preparations, in particular images of the brain’s three-dimensional structure. His microscope images have, through their detail and beauty, provided a deeper understanding of the complexity of the brain for both laymen and experts.” 96 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG THE LENNART NILSSON AWARD An international award bestowed annually upon an individual in recognition of outstanding contributions within the realm of scientific photography. The main aim is to promote education, training and research within the medical, biological and engineering sciences. “In expansion microscopy, we take brain specimens and infuse them with a special polymer, a swellable polymer much like the kind of material you find in baby diapers. We then soften the specimen, add water, and the baby diaper material swells – making the brain bigger. Since the polymer is so dense and even throughout the brain, the brain expands in an even way. The net result is that we can image the brain with nanoscale precision, because the polymer expansion brings tiny, nearly invisible features into the realm of the visible,” explains Boyden. NEW DISCOVERIES EVERY WEEK Previous microscopy technologies that enable you to see nanoscale features were very slow, very expensive, or hard to use. Expansion microscopy, in contrast, lets you use ordinary, common imaging techniques to obtain nanoscale detail, continues Boyden. “Hundreds of groups are using expansion microscopy to visualize tiny structures within cells, tissues, and organs. Because biomolecules