The neural representation of taste quality at the periphery.

The mammalian taste system is responsible for sensing and responding to the five basic taste qualities: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Previously, we showed that each taste is detected by dedicated taste receptor cells (TRCs) on the tongue and palate epithelium. To understand how TRCs transmit information to higher neural centres, we examined the tuning properties of large ensembles of neurons in the first neural station of the gustatory system.

In vivo microendoscopy of the hippocampus.

Conventional intravital microscopy has generally been limited to superficial brain areas such as the olfactory bulb, the neocortex, or the cerebellar cortex. In vivo optical microendoscopy uses gradient refractive index (GRIN) microlenses that can be inserted into tissue to image cells in deeper areas. This protocol describes in vivo microendoscopy of the mouse hippocampus.

In vivo optical microendoscopy for imaging cells lying deep within live tissue.

Although in vivo microscopy has been pivotal in enabling studies of neuronal structure and function in the intact mammalian brain, conventional intravital microscopy has generally been limited to superficial brain areas such as the olfactory bulb, the neocortex, or the cerebellar cortex. For imaging cells in deeper areas, this article discusses in vivo optical microendoscopy using gradient refractive index (GRIN) microlenses that can be inserted into tissue. Our general methodology is broadly applicable to many deep brain regions and areas of the body.

Time-lapse imaging of disease progression in deep brain areas using fluorescence microendoscopy.

The combination of intravital microscopy and animal models of disease has propelled studies of disease mechanisms and treatments. However, many disorders afflict tissues inaccessible to light microscopy in live subjects. Here we introduce cellular-level time-lapse imaging deep within the live mammalian brain by one- and two-photon fluorescence microendoscopy over multiple weeks.

In vivo fluorescence imaging with high-resolution microlenses.

Micro-optics are increasingly used for minimally invasive in vivo imaging, in miniaturized microscopes and in lab-on-a-chip devices. Owing to optical aberrations and lower numerical apertures, a main class of microlens, gradient refractive index lenses, has not achieved resolution comparable to conventional microscopy. Here we describe high-resolution microlenses, and illustrate two-photon imaging of dendritic spines on hippocampal neurons and dual-color nonlinear optical imaging of neuromuscular junctions in live mice.

High-speed, miniaturized fluorescence microscopy in freely moving mice.

A central goal in biomedicine is to explain organismic behavior in terms of causal cellular processes. However, concurrent observation of mammalian behavior and underlying cellular dynamics has been a longstanding challenge. We describe a miniaturized (1.

Minimally invasive high-speed imaging of sarcomere contractile dynamics in mice and humans.

Sarcomeres are the basic contractile units of striated muscle. Our knowledge about sarcomere dynamics has primarily come from in vitro studies of muscle fibres and analysis of optical diffraction patterns obtained from living muscles. Both approaches involve highly invasive procedures and neither allows examination of individual sarcomeres in live subjects.

Fast-scanning two-photon fluorescence imaging based on a microelectromechanical systems two- dimensional scanning mirror.

Towards overcoming the size limitations of conventional two-photon fluorescence microscopy, we introduce two-photon imaging based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanners. Single crystalline silicon scanning mirrors that are 0.75 mm x 0.