Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026
07:04
Imaging Neural Activity in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex Using Thy1-GCaMP6s Transgenic Mice
Published on: January 7, 2019
11.8K
Utilizing Miniature Fluorescence Microscopy to Image Hippocampal Place Cell Ensemble Function in Thy1.GCaMP6f
Tim Indersmitten1, Tamara Berdyyeva2, Leah Aluisio2
1AnaBios Corporation, San Diego, California.
Current Protocols in Pharmacology
|August 22, 2018
Summary
This study details procedures for high-quality calcium imaging in awake mice using miniature fluorescence microscopes. It covers surgical techniques, behavioral training, and experimental design for neuronal activity analysis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Microscopy
- Calcium Imaging
Background:
- Miniature fluorescence microscopy enables in vivo imaging of neuronal activity in awake, behaving animals.
- Successful implementation requires meticulous surgical, behavioral, and experimental design considerations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline critical procedures and considerations for obtaining high-quality calcium imaging data.
- To provide a practical example of imaging hippocampal place cells during behavior.
Main Methods:
- Surgical implantation of miniature fluorescence microscopes.
- Behavioral training of mice for specific tasks (e.g., linear track running).
- Selection of appropriate calcium indicators and experimental design.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of imaging hippocampal place cell activity in Thy1.GCaMP6f transgenic mice.
- Synchronization of neuronal activity with observed behavior.
Conclusions:
- Careful planning of surgical, behavioral, and indicator selection is crucial for successful calcium imaging.
- Miniature fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for studying neural circuits in vivo.
Related Concept Videos
00:53Transgenic Organisms
33.5K
Overview
33.5K
01:16Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy
21.1K
Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...
21.1K
01:37Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
14.6K
Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been...
14.6K
01:05Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy
13.4K
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy or TIRF is an advanced microscopic technique used to visualize fluorophores in samples close to a solid surface with a higher refractive index, such as a glass coverslip. TIRF only allows fluorophores in proximity to the solid surface to be excited. When light from a medium with a lower refractive index (such as air) hits the glass coverslip at a critical angle, the light undergoes total internal reflection stead of passing through the glass.
13.4K
02:50Transgenic Plants
8.7K
Recombinant DNA technology called transgenesis is often used to add a foreign gene or remove a detrimental gene from an organism. Such genetically modified organisms are called transgenic organisms.
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
8.7K
01:18Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
10.6K
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
10.6K