Date/Time: Tuesday, May 7 at 11am – 1pm

In-person location: Simons Conference Room 46-6011

On Zoom:  https://mit.zoom.us/my/daeheeyun

Title:  Illuminating the Brain: Advances in High-Resolution, Multi-Scale Proteomic Labeling and Imaging Abstract

Abstract: Understanding the remarkably complex structure and function of the brain requires the ability to visualize and analyze it across multiple scales, from the nanoscopic synaptic connections to the system-wide architecture of whole brain circuits and regions. However, both zooming deeper in to see finer morphological details and zooming out to capture broader neuroanatomical context requires maximizing the labeling performance – attaining high contrast at the nanoscale, while enabling complete and uniform labeling across an entire brain. This challenge of comprehensive multi-scale proteomic mapping remains infeasible by existing labeling and imaging methods. This thesis presents two-pronged approaches to overcome this challenge: epitope-preserving magnified analysis of proteome (eMAP) and electrophoretically driven fast labeling using affinity sweeping in hydrogel (eFLASH). First, the eMAP method utilizes purely physical entanglement to form tissue-gel hybridization to maximize the preservation of antigenicity, achieving broader compatibility and allowing synaptic imaging without amplification even at 1000-fold expansion. Second, the eFLASH technology utilizes the concept of continuous redispersion of volumetric equilibrium (CuRVE) to equally process all cells throughout the brain to achieve rapid, uniform, and efficient immunolabeling of samples as large a whole rat brain. With further advancements in volume imaging, integrating these two technologies will provide unprecedented multi-scale, brain-wide imaging capability at synaptic resolutions.

Thesis supervisor:              Professor Kwanghun Chung