Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Computed Tomography01:10

Computed Tomography

7.9K
Tomography refers to imaging by sections. Computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses computers to analyze several cross-sectional X-rays to reveal minute details about structures in the body.
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
7.9K
Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy01:18

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

8.6K
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...
8.6K
Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy01:26

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

11.8K
Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
11.8K
Positron Emission Tomography01:29

Positron Emission Tomography

6.8K
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique involving radiopharmaceuticals — substances that emit short-lived radiation. Although the first PET scanner was introduced in 1961, it took 15 more years before radiopharmaceuticals were combined with the technique and revolutionized its potential.
One of the main requirements of a PET scan is a positron-emitting radioisotope, which is produced in a cyclotron and then attached to a substance used by the part of the body...
6.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

In vivo spatial coordination with synthetic paracrine signaling.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Transcriptomic and proteomic responses to gas vesicle collapse in native and engineered bacterial systems.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Modulating Protein Function through Genetically Encoded Oxidative Chemistry.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Real-time volumetric imaging of cells and molecules in deep tissues with Takoyaki ultrasound.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Serial analysis of macular and circumpapillary structures in glaucomatous eyes with peripapillary retinoschisis.

Canadian journal of ophthalmology. Journal canadien d'ophtalmologie·2026
Same author

Statistical BURST imaging for high-fidelity biomolecular ultrasound.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Optical Coherence Tomography: Imaging Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo
08:17

Optical Coherence Tomography: Imaging Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo

Published on: September 22, 2017

19.9K

Genetically Encodable Contrast Agents for Optical Coherence Tomography.

George J Lu1, Li-Dek Chou2, Dina Malounda1

  • 1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States.

ACS Nano
|February 6, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed genetically encodable gas vesicles as novel contrast agents for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). This innovation enables molecular and cellular imaging, expanding OCT

Keywords:
contrast agentsgas vesiclesgenetically encodednanostructuresoptical coherence tomographyreporter genesultrasound

More Related Videos

Universal Hand-held Three-dimensional Optoacoustic Imaging Probe for Deep Tissue Human Angiography and Functional Preclinical Studies in Real Time
09:56

Universal Hand-held Three-dimensional Optoacoustic Imaging Probe for Deep Tissue Human Angiography and Functional Preclinical Studies in Real Time

Published on: November 4, 2014

11.2K
Ultrahigh Resolution Mouse Optical Coherence Tomography to Aid Intraocular Injection in Retinal Gene Therapy Research
10:10

Ultrahigh Resolution Mouse Optical Coherence Tomography to Aid Intraocular Injection in Retinal Gene Therapy Research

Published on: November 2, 2018

9.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Optical Coherence Tomography: Imaging Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo
08:17

Optical Coherence Tomography: Imaging Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo

Published on: September 22, 2017

19.9K
Universal Hand-held Three-dimensional Optoacoustic Imaging Probe for Deep Tissue Human Angiography and Functional Preclinical Studies in Real Time
09:56

Universal Hand-held Three-dimensional Optoacoustic Imaging Probe for Deep Tissue Human Angiography and Functional Preclinical Studies in Real Time

Published on: November 4, 2014

11.2K
Ultrahigh Resolution Mouse Optical Coherence Tomography to Aid Intraocular Injection in Retinal Gene Therapy Research
10:10

Ultrahigh Resolution Mouse Optical Coherence Tomography to Aid Intraocular Injection in Retinal Gene Therapy Research

Published on: November 2, 2018

9.7K

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Imaging
  • Nanotechnology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is widely used in biological research and medical imaging for its penetration, speed, and contrast.
  • Current limitations of OCT include a lack of suitable biomolecular contrast agents for molecular and cellular imaging.
  • No equivalent reporter gene exists for OCT, unlike the green fluorescent protein in fluorescence microscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce genetically encodable gas vesicles as novel contrast agents for OCT.
  • To enable molecular and cellular imaging applications using OCT.
  • To develop new reporter gene systems for OCT imaging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized naturally evolved gas-filled protein nanostructures (gas vesicles) as contrast agents.
  • Leveraged the differential refractive index and nanoscale motion of gas vesicles for OCT detection (static and dynamic).
  • Employed ultrasound to selectively erase OCT contrast for unambiguous localization.
  • Investigated gas vesicle clustering for dynamic biosensor applications.
  • Demonstrated gas vesicles as reporter genes in bacterial colonies and as contrast agents in mouse retinas.

Main Results:

  • Gas vesicles were successfully detected by both static and dynamic OCT.
  • Ultrasound-mediated contrast erasure allowed precise location assignment of gas vesicles.
  • Gas vesicle clustering modulated temporal signals, enabling biosensor design.
  • Successful application as reporter genes in bacteria and as contrast agents in vivo.

Conclusions:

  • Gas vesicles serve as effective, genetically encodable contrast agents for OCT.
  • This technology expands the scope of OCT imaging to cellular and molecular processes.
  • Gas vesicles represent a significant advancement for reporter gene imaging in OCT.