Inside a Mouse’s Brain

Thin and super-thin blood vessels keep the nerve cells in the brain alive. With the single plane illumination microscope, the fascinating tangle of minute blood vessels – such as the one shown here in a mouse’s brain – can be depicted in three dimensions and high resolution. To achieve this, a laser beam scans fine slivers of tissue samples made transparent. This enables scientists to research brain structures in great detail and in 3D. Commercially available devices didn’t meet his requirements, so UZH neuroscientist Fabian Voigt simply built his own single plane illumination microscope. He has also set up the open science website mesospim.org, on which he and other researchers share their knowledge – so that many more academics will be able to assemble their own customized microscope in future.

Website: www.mesospim.org