Title |
Rapid and gentle hydrogel encapsulation of living organisms enables long-term microscopy over multiple hours
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Published in |
Communications Biology, June 2018
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DOI | 10.1038/s42003-018-0079-6 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Kyra Burnett, Eric Edsinger, Dirk R. Albrecht |
Abstract |
Imaging living organisms at high spatial resolution requires effective and innocuous immobilization. Long-term imaging places further demands on sample mounting with minimal perturbation of the organism. Here we present a simple, inexpensive method for rapid encapsulation of small animals of any developmental stage within a photo-crosslinked polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel, gently restricting movement within their confined spaces. Immobilized animals maintain their original morphology in a hydrated environment compatible with chemical treatment, optical stimulation, and light-sheet microscopy. We demonstrate prolonged three-dimensional imaging of neural responses in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, recovery of viable organisms after 24 h, and imaging of larger squid hatchlings. We characterize a range of hydrogel and illumination conditions for immobilization quality, and identify paralytic-free conditions suitable for high-resolution single-cell imaging. Overall, PEG hydrogel encapsulation provides fast, versatile, and gentle mounting of small living organisms, from yeast to zebrafish, for continuous observation over hours. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United States | 30 | 38% |
Germany | 5 | 6% |
United Kingdom | 3 | 4% |
France | 3 | 4% |
Canada | 3 | 4% |
Norway | 2 | 3% |
Spain | 2 | 3% |
New Zealand | 2 | 3% |
Netherlands | 1 | 1% |
Other | 6 | 8% |
Unknown | 21 | 27% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 47 | 60% |
Scientists | 22 | 28% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 9 | 12% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 140 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 35 | 25% |
Researcher | 26 | 19% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 13 | 9% |
Student > Master | 9 | 6% |
Student > Bachelor | 8 | 6% |
Other | 20 | 14% |
Unknown | 29 | 21% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 25 | 18% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 21 | 15% |
Neuroscience | 14 | 10% |
Engineering | 10 | 7% |
Chemistry | 9 | 6% |
Other | 29 | 21% |
Unknown | 32 | 23% |