title: Label-free, multi-scale imaging of ex-vivo mouse brain using spatial light interference microscopy.
abstract: Brain connectivity spans over broad spatial scales, from nanometers to centimeters. In order to understand the brain at multi-scale, the neural network in wide-field has been visualized in detail by taking advantage of light microscopy. However, the process of staining or addition of fluorescent tags is commonly required, and the image contrast is insufficient for delineation of cytoarchitecture. To overcome this barrier, we use spatial light interference microscopy to investigate brain structure with high-resolution, sub-nanometer pathlength sensitivity without the use of exogenous contrast agents. Combining wide-field imaging and a mosaic algorithm developed in-house, we show the detailed architecture of cells and myelin, within coronal olfactory bulb and cortical sections, and from sagittal sections of the hippocampus and cerebellum. Our technique is well suited to identify laminar characteristics of fiber tract orientation within white matter, e.g. the corpus callosum. To further improve the macro-scale contrast of anatomical structures, and to better differentiate axons and dendrites from cell bodies, we mapped the tissue in terms of its scattering property. Based on our results, we anticipate that spatial light interference microscopy can potentially provide multiscale and multicontrast perspectives of gross and microscopic brain anatomy.
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Light imaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.|Translational Biophotonics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eunjung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Light imaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Mikhail E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kandel
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
authors.forename: CheMyong J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Light imaging Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: Translational Biophotonics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.|Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science, 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woonggyu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Cellular Neuroscience and Imaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 208 North Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Best-Popescu
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000033:anatomy & histology