Professor Valentin Nägerl, France : "Super-resolution microscopy for neuroscience: new methods & applications"
Speaker:
Professor Valentin Nägerl
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University of Bordeaux
Title: "Super-resolution microscopy for neuroscience: new methods & applications"
Abstract: The advent of super-resolution microscopy has created unprecedented opportunities to study the mammalian central nervous system, which is dominated by anatomical structures whose nanoscale dimensions critically influence their biophysical properties. I will present our recent methodological advances 1) to analyze dendritic spines in the hippocampus in vivo; 2) to visualize the extracellular space of the brain and 3) to reveal the morphological structure and molecular arrangement of adhesive structures and synapses in live cells at the nanoscale level.
We established chronic in vivo super-resolution imaging of dendritic spines in the hippocampus, based on an upright 2P-STED microscope equipped with a long working distance objective and ‘hippocampal window’ to reach this deeply embedded structure. We measured spine density on pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area and determined spine turnover by repetitive imaging. Spine density was two times higher than reported by conventional 2P microscopy, and around 40% of all spines turned over within 4 days, indicating a high level of structural remodeling.
We combined 3D-STED microscopy and fluorescent labeling of the extracellular fluid to develop super-resolution shadow imaging (SUSHI) of brain ECS in living brain slices. SUSHI enables quantitative analysis of ECS structure and produces sharp negative images of all cellular structures, providing an unbiased view of unlabeled brain cells with respect to their complete anatomical context in a live tissue setting.
Current super-resolution microscopes are proficient at collecting either single molecule or morphological information, but not both. I will present a new super-resolution platform that permits correlative single molecule imaging and STED microscopy in living cells. We demonstrate that this multi-modal approach can give access to both kinds of information by revealing on a nanometer spatial scale protein localization and dynamics and cellular morphology.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
