CLARITY for mapping the nervous system
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Updated: May 11, 2026

Imaging Cleared Intact Biological Systems at a Cellular Level by 3DISCO
Published on: July 7, 2014
Kwanghun Chung1, Karl Deisseroth
1Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA. khchung@mit.edu
Abstract:
With potential relevance for brain-mapping work, hydrogel-based structures can now be built from within biological tissue to allow subsequent removal of lipids without mechanical disassembly of the tissue. This process creates a tissue-hydrogel hybrid that is physically stable, that preserves fine structure, proteins and nucleic acids, and that is permeable to both visible-spectrum photons and exogenous macromolecules. Here we highlight relevant challenges and opportunities of this approach, especially with regard to integration with complementary methodologies for brain-mapping studies.
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