All the light that we can see: a new era in miniaturized microscopy

Daniel Aharoni; Baljit S Khakh; Alcino J Silva; Peyman Golshani

doi:10.1038/s41592-018-0266-x

All the light that we can see: a new era in miniaturized microscopy

Nat Methods. 2019 Jan;16(1):11-13. doi: 10.1038/s41592-018-0266-x.

Authors

Daniel Aharoni¹, Baljit S Khakh², Alcino J Silva^{3

4}, Peyman Golshani^{5

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. DAharoni@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Departments of Physiology & Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Departments of Neurobiology and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Abstract

One major challenge in neuroscience is to uncover how defined neural circuits in the brain encode, store, modify, and retrieve information. Meeting this challenge comprehensively requires tools capable of recording and manipulating the activity of intact neural networks in naturally behaving animals. Head-mounted miniature microscopes are emerging as a key tool to address this challenge. Here we discuss recent work leading to the miniaturization of neural imaging tools, the current state of the art in this field, and the importance and necessity of open-source options. We finish with a discussion on what the future may hold for miniature microscopy.

MeSH terms

Animals
Head
Mice
Microscopy / instrumentation*
Miniaturization*
Neuroimaging / instrumentation*

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding