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Deep See Fish

New tissue clearing system enables whole nervous systems to be revealed

08 July 2020

Deep See Fish

When putting life under a microscope, a clock is ticking. Fragile cells and their molecules inside often only last for hours or minutes – scientists much balance techniques to make their samples more visible with the need for a quick peek. A new technique called DEpigmEntation-Plus-Clearing (DEEP-clear) uses chemicals to sluice away opaque chemicals like fats, leaving tissues transparent and glassy. Tissue clearing is nothing new in histology, but DEEP-clear also washes away distracting pigments from coloured tissues at the same time, quickly producing samples that can then be purposefully stained with specific dyes. Here, light sheet microscopy uses horizontal 'sheets' of gentle laser light to pick out fishy details, later virtually reassembled in 3D. In these zebrafish heads dyes highlight dividing cells in pink and cells in the nervous system in green. Researchers hope DEEP-clear can now help to highlight similar cells in human tissues too.

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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