Imaging a Mouse Embryo

For over a century, scientists have used mice as a research organism to help understand fundamental aspects of mammalian development, biology, and disease. While the range of research organisms has expanded in recent years, mice are still an extremely popular subject for scientists around the world. The animals share about 80% of human genes, have short life spans, and do well in captivity.

This video, captured in the MBL’s Imaging Innovation Lab by Gabriela Carrillo of the Elizabeth Engle Lab at Harvard Medical School, shows a 3D reconstruction of a cleared mouse embryo. The embryo is labeled for neurons (magenta) and muscles (cyan). Tissue clearing renders opaque samples nearly transparent, so researchers can image deep into biological tissue to study neuronal morphology in an intact animal or embryo. Sample imaged using a 25x 0.75 NA objective.

Expanding the Range of Research Organisms

Scientists make use of many different organisms to address both fundamental questions in biology and development treatments for human disease. Examples of organisms used by biologists range from single-celled organisms, such as bacteria, to more complex ones, including mice. In recent years, scientists have come to rely heavily on a few “model” organisms that have well-developed tools and communities. The MBL is committed to expanding the range of organisms that can be used in this way, and in creating the next generation of genetically tractable aquatic research organisms to understand the fundamental aspects of biology common to all life, including humans.

Learn more about the New Research Organism Initiative at the MBL.

About the Microscope

The stage-scanning line confocal was developed at the MBL. It is a novel microscope that is able to capture large fields of view at high resolution much faster than conventional, point-scanning confocal systems. It is also much "gentler" than a conventional confocal, meaning that the light that it uses to excite fluorescence in the specimen is less intense and thus less likely to cause photobleaching, or photodamage to live samples.

The stage-scanning line confocal possesses two identical light paths that make it compatible with a wide range of specimen types and enables simultaneous dual-view acquisition. It is ideally suited to image specimens that require the high magnification and resolution of confocal microscopy, but which are prohibitively large or sensitive for conventional point-scanning systems.